Part of 1. Questions to the Minister for Social Justice – in the Senedd at 1:57 pm on 5 October 2022.
Thank you for your answer, Minister. My question is very much about the powers that are within your responsibility. Minister, you will recognise, of course, that my own constituency of Montgomeryshire is a predominantly rural area. Your Flying Start programme has been in operation for many years to support households in areas of deprivation. Unfortunately, it can't be accessed in many parts of rural areas and there continues to be that element of a postcode lottery. Do you recognise, Minister, that often there is an area that is not classed as an area of deprivation, but within that area there are pockets of depravation? They are very often in those rural parts of Wales. Can I ask you, in regard to the additional funding you announced last week, I think, how you intend this to focus particularly on the issues that I've outlined? How are you going to ensure that rural local authorities in Wales, particularly Powys, get their fair share of funding to support those particular communities?