The next item will be the business statement and announcement, and the Trefnydd will be answering questions again. I call on the Trefnydd to make that statement—Lesley Griffiths. 

Diolch, Llywydd. There is one change to this week's business. The Packaging Waste (Data Collection and Reporting) (Wales) Regulations 2023 have been withdrawn and the debate postponed. Draft business for the next three weeks is set out in the business statement and announcement, which can be found amongst the meeting papers available to Members electronically. 

Trefnydd, can I call for a statement on the local government funding formula? Residents in my constituency are very concerned that Conwy County Borough Council has suggested that council tax may have to rise by up to 12.45 per cent, which obviously is in excess of the already very high rate of inflation. That is a matter of great concern to many constituents who are finding it hard to make ends met due to cost-of-living pressures. But one thing we do know is that that funding formula has allowed some local authorities in Wales to stash up hundreds of millions of pounds of reserves, while others have very depleted reserves because they've been having to chop into them on an annual basis because the funding formula is fundamentally flawed and unfair. Can we have an update on what the Welsh Government is doing to address this issue? And will the Trefnydd seek to get the agreement of her Cabinet colleague the Minister for finance, and indeed the Minister with responsibility for local government, for an independent review—an independent review—of the funding formula to make sure that there's equitable access to funding for local government across the country?

The Member will be aware that the setting of council tax is a matter for each local authority, and whilst, of course, any increase of council tax is often very unwelcome to the majority of local tax payers, I think it is good to recognise it's a significant source of funding for local services. You say the funding formula is flawed—well, you'll appreciate that that funding formula is not imposed by Welsh Government; it's done in conjunction and in partnership between local government and Welsh Government. So, I don't agree with you it's flawed. It might not be the best, and there are always going to be people that do better than others. As far as I know—and I'm looking to the Minister for Finance and Local Government—I don't think there's been any call by local authorities to have a look at the funding formula, never mind an independent review.

Llyr Gruffydd. Llyr Gruffydd. 

Thank you, Llywydd. I only heard you the second time, I suspect. I want to ask the Trenfydd if we can have a statement on the level of support available through the Healthy Start scheme. The level of support was last increased in April 2021 to £4.25 a week, but it's been two years since then, and since then the cost of living has gone up, food inflation has been very significant, but the support has remained static. And there are implications for that when it comes to families accessing healthy, nutritious foods, which is the whole purpose of the scheme. So, I'm asking for a statement from the Deputy Minister for Mental Health and Well-being on the possibility of increasing the level of support, because the value and contribution of the scheme is undermined month by month as food costs increase while the level of support has remained static. 

Thank you. I don't disagree with what you're saying about the support, but you will appreciate the significant demands on the health budget. Obviously, the supplementary budget is due to be published, and I'm unaware if this scheme is receiving any increase, but it may be worth waiting to see if that's the case before asking for a further statement. 

Going back to the Silk report on the devolution of taxation, that recommended that aggregates levy should be devolved to Wales. It could not be devolved due to European Union intervention. In November 2022, Liz Saville Roberts asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he had had discussions with the Welsh Government on devolving the aggregates levy to Wales. The Treasury response was that they 

'are always happy to engage with the Welsh Government, should they wish to discuss this or any other issue further.'

I'm asking for a Welsh Government statement on progress towards devolving the aggregates levy. 

I'm also asking for a statement on rare conditions. Whilst individually they are rare, hence their name, they affect a lot of people, with one in 17 people being affected during their lifetime. Many rare conditions are lifelong and complex. Often, rare diseases are chronic and life-threatening. As a result, people affected by rare conditions often need support and expertise from a wide range of healthcare professionals. This can mean having multiple appointments across different settings, and on different dates. I think a statement on that would be very helpful. 

I agree with you and I will ask the Minister for Health and Social Services to issue a written statement. We do have Rare Disease Day coming up at the end of this month, so I will ask the Minister for Health and Social Services to issue a written statement to highlight our support for rare disease, and also the progress that we are making here in Wales. 

In response to your first request, aggregates are a valuable Welsh natural resource, and we recognise that devolution of the aggregates levy could be beneficial to our fiscal and environmental aims. We do continue to be open to further conversations with the UK Government on the possible devolution of the levy, recognising that there are a number of key issues to consider, in particular, potential cross-border issues and block grant impacts that could arise. We're also really interested to learn from the Scottish Government's experience as they move forward in developing their approach to a Scottish aggregates levy. It would be good perhaps to apply the learning that they have had to further considerations, but any further engagement with the UK Government on a levy needs to really be set in the context of the wider devolution on tax devolution. That includes addressing our request to gain the power to introduce a vacant land tax in Wales. 

Business Minister, I'd like to request a statement from the Minister for Education and Welsh Language on the replacement of BTECs and what our Welsh equivalent of T-levels will actually look like. This month, the Department for Education in England announced a new £12 million T-level employer placement scheme to boost the uptake from businesses to take on student placements and access to providers for multiple grants, yet we still have no idea what T-level equivalents will look like in Wales. Once again, we see colleges and sixth forms in a state of panic due to the Minister's lacklustre approach to this, and many now feel that it's simply too late to make the changes implemented well or done properly, putting Wales at a big disadvantage. A statement updating the Senedd, learners and our educators is urgently needed. Thank you, business Minister. 

I don't think the way that you set that out is correct—we've already extended BTEC eligibility, for instance—but I know the Minister for Education and Welsh Language is continuing to have discussions with Qualifications Wales and will provide a statement in due course. 

And finally, Cefin Campbell. 

Thank you very much, Llywydd. As you know, this is a very busy time for farmers, of course, because the lambing season has just started, and the weather is improving, people are tempted to go out for a walk with their dogs in rural areas of Wales, and this, of course, is a cause of great concern to farmers because of the attacks by dogs on farm animals. Recent research by NFU Mutual notes that the cost of damage to animals and those killed by dogs was around £400,000 last year, which is an increase of almost 15 per cent on the previous year. And the same research shows that two out of three people who take their dogs for a walk are willing to let their dogs run wild when they are out in rural areas. So, can I ask how the Welsh Government intends to respond to these figures, these increases that I've outlined, and will you make a statement on that? And how do you intend to encourage people to be more responsible when they take their dogs for a walk in rural areas?

Thank you. You're quite right; we see far too many dog attacks, particularly on sheep and lambs, and I think it's very important. As you say, we're just—. Well, some areas have already started lambing; others are to follow. But I was really pleased to see the wildlife and rural crime commissioner's campaign, 'ewes a lead'—'use' spelt 'ewes'—which I thought was very clever. But I think it's really good to have these campaigns, and certainly as a Government we're doing all we can to promote that campaign, because responsible dog ownership is very important, and you'll be aware of all the different schemes. But it was really good to see that campaign, particularly this time of year, ahead of, as you say, people starting to go out, perhaps, more into the countryside as springtime approaches.

I thank the Trefnydd.