The Cost-of-living Crisis

Part of 1. Questions to the Minister for Social Justice – in the Senedd at 1:37 pm on 9 February 2022.

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Photo of Jane Hutt Jane Hutt Labour 1:37, 9 February 2022

Thank you very much for that very helpful question, because I can now give you a full response on the plans for the round-table summit next Thursday, 17 February. We have invited all of the organisations that are at the sharp end of tackling poverty across Wales. Obviously, that includes those not just in terms of food poverty—the Trussell Trust and other foodbanks and community food organisations responding to the challenge of food poverty—but also those responding to the challenges of fuel poverty as well, and including those advisers who are important to us, such as the Bevan Foundation, to ensure that we take on board their evidence. The lived experience is crucial. I met with the child poverty action group last week, and the cross-party group on poverty was extremely helpful, bringing us right to the heart of what's happening in communities. But I'm also ensuring that the whole of Government is engaged with this. So, I'm bilaterally meeting all Ministers this week. We have a cross-Government working group, to look at every portfolio, in terms of what they can do to tackle the cost-of-living crisis. This is for the Welsh Government a commitment with partners. This morning, I met with the single advice fund givers, Citizens Advice, Shelter, EYST—all of those partners who are working at the sharp end, delivering advice and guidance—and the discretionary assistance fund as well. So, I will be able to report on all of this. I will be chairing the summit, alongside my colleagues the Minister for Climate Change and the Minister for Finance and Local Government. In terms of the funding, we're confirming the detail of the funding that will come to Wales as a result of the announcements by the UK Government, but at the same time, as I've said, developing plans on how we can use that funding to support people during the cost-of-living crisis, and discussing the crisis and priorities—and that's crucial about the event next week—that are coming from those who are addressing and responding to that crisis on a daily basis.