4. Debate on a Statement: The Draft Budget 2023-24

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 4:43 pm on 13 December 2022.

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Photo of Rebecca Evans Rebecca Evans Labour 4:43, 13 December 2022

Diolch, Llywydd, and thank you to all colleagues for what I think has been a really constructive set of comments and representations this afternoon. And I know that, once colleagues have had the chance to digest the full suite of budget information, there will inevitably be lots more questions and comments, so I'm more than happy to continue that dialogue as we move forward towards the publication of the final budget next year.

So, as I said in my opening statement, this is very much a draft budget that is unlike any other that we've laid since the start of devolution, and I think that colleagues have recognised the difficult choices that we've faced in delivering it. But we haven't shied away from difficult decisions and, despite the difficult times that we are in, we have delivered a budget for Wales that is grounded in our Welsh values of social, economic and environmental justice. And we've also sought to maximise every penny available to support the Wales of today whilst also laying the foundations for the Wales of tomorrow.

There were lots of detailed questions about some of my colleagues' portfolio areas, which I know committees will want to get into in more detail, around housing, energy, social care, transport and health, for example, so I'll just try to respond to as much as I can within the time available to me this afternoon, but there will be lots more opportunities for scrutiny and discussion. 

The overall context was set out, and I know a number of colleagues have referred to it and how difficult it is. And even with the additional funding made available through the autumn statement of £1.2 billion over two years, it still doesn't begin, really, to fill the gap that there is in terms of public services, so there have been some really difficult choices made. Our focus really has been on protecting front-line services and, of course, our ambitions for the future in our programme for government, continuing to provide help to those who are in need most as a result of the crises that we're facing, and also supporting our economy through recessionary times.