The committee welcomes the £162.4 million allocated in the final budget to help those affected by the cost-of-living crisis, with £1.6 million of that allocated for the single advice fund to offer advice and support on income maximisation. We recommended that the Welsh Government take steps to raise the profiles of grants and schemes designed to address the cost-of-living crisis, so that people are aware of the range of financial support available and how to access it. We are pleased to hear that the Welsh Government intends to run a campaign and is developing a suite of materials that will be delivered on numerous platforms to ensure that the Welsh public are aware of their entitlements. However, these campaigns must target the most vulnerable people to ensure they do not miss out. We have previously recommended that there should be a 'no wrong door' approach to accessing services, and we continue to call for a single point of access rather than multiple applications for support. Support can only be effective if it reaches the right people.

The final budget does not increase the support for business rates relief, something which the committee asked the Minister to consider in its report. We also asked the Minister to prioritise investment in digital infrastructure, and to pay particular focus to supporting investment in digital infrastructure and help small retailers and other businesses to develop digital skills and an online presence. In the Minister's response to this recommendation, she notes that Business Wales provides businesses and entrepreneurs with a single point of contact for information and advice, and that the Development Bank of Wales helps Welsh businesses get the finance they need to start up. However, no specific action seems to have been taken in this area.

Allocations for financial transactions capital were not included in the draft budget, with the Minister telling us they would be made as part of the final budget preparations. We recommended that an update on the allocations was provided to the committee before the final budget was laid. I am grateful to the Minister for providing this information. The Minister noted the constraints and complexities on how ring-fenced financial transactions can be used, and the timescales within which the Welsh Government had to develop proposals following the late announcement of the UK spending review. However, we are pleased to hear that this will not set a precedent, with the intention that future financial transaction capital allocations will be considered as part of the draft budget process.

Given the Minister's emphasis on building a greener Wales through this budget, it's disappointing that the Welsh Government has not clarified which specific Net Zero Wales commitments have been funded in the final budget. As a committee, we also asked the Minister to present budgetary information so that it is linked to outputs and impacts, as well as providing clarity on how the funding of policy commitments relating to the co-operation agreement is reflected in future budget allocations, but these do not seem to have been addressed either. Furthermore, it is not clear what impact inflation will have on Welsh Government costs, and we would like the Minister to confirm whether this will change the outcomes expected from next year's budget, assuming that no additional funding will be received from the UK Government. I would ask the Minister to respond to each of these points in turn.