Additional Funding in England

Part of 1. Questions to the Minister for Finance and Local Government – in the Senedd at 1:52 pm on 15 September 2021.

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Photo of Huw Irranca-Davies Huw Irranca-Davies Labour 1:52, 15 September 2021

I thank the Minister for that response and, as we’ve heard already today in this Senedd Chamber, what we’re seeing in effect is a classic pickpocket trick—somebody is smiling in your face whilst taking the money out of the back pocket of local authorities; out of employers, some of whom will be employing care staff; and out of low-paid staff themselves in care and in the NHS. So, it is a terrible trick to play on people, but they’re smiling while they do it.

But could I ask: do we have any idea about the timescale for the reporting of the inter-ministerial group which has now been reformed? We’ve done so much work in Wales already, well ahead of any consideration they’ve given to this matter in England. We have our ideas in place. In fact, we’ve already put some of them in place, such as reducing the cost on care charges and the amount you can keep on your own residential property. But there’s a lot to be done, including raising the wages of those who deliver care. When are we likely to see the outcome of the deliberations of the inter-ministerial group?