The Welsh budget

Emma Williams

15 January 2025, Local Government and Housing Committee

Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26: Evidence session with the Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government (Housing)

Yes, just to add. I think, as you've said, there are two strands of work, if you like: there's the work with UK Government Treasury in terms of how much additional funding will come from UK Government, and then there is work with the wider third sector partners to assess the impact. I think both of…

Tagged from the title of its item or question: “Draft Budget”Official Record

Jayne BryantLabour

15 January 2025, Local Government and Housing Committee

Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26: Evidence session with the Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government (Housing)

I mean, I think we look at it as part of this ongoing dialogue. There are those discussions happening, but, as I say, this is an area where it isn't devolved and we have been clear that we've been able to find the £21 million within our budget for the purpose that we have set out, which is for the…

Tagged from the title of its item or question: “Draft Budget”Official Record

Siân GwenllianPlaid

15 January 2025, Local Government and Housing Committee

Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26: Evidence session with the Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government (Housing)

So, at the moment, there's no hope that there's any funding, extra funding, going to come through Welsh Government. Your hopes are that you'll be able to convince the Treasury that third sector organisations should be exempt from national insurance. Is that the kind of thinking?

Tagged from the title of its item or question: “Draft Budget”Official Record

Jayne BryantLabour

15 January 2025, Local Government and Housing Committee

Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26: Evidence session with the Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government (Housing)

Diolch, Siân. Yes, and I think that's part of what is that ongoing dialogue. We keep talking—Cabinet colleagues—across UK Government, but also with our colleagues across the sector. There are well over 40,000 voluntary organisations operating in Wales today, many of those are supporting those people…

Tagged from the title of its item or question: “Draft Budget”Official Record

Siân GwenllianPlaid

15 January 2025, Local Government and Housing Committee

Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26: Evidence session with the Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government (Housing)

Diolch. So, rydych chi'n ei wneud yn glir bod y £21 miliwn yna, gan fwyaf, ar gyfer y real living wage. Felly, sut ydych chi'n mynd i fod yn gallu cefnogi'r sector yma—y pobl sy'n cael y grant cymorth tai—i fedru ffeindio arian ar gyfer talu'r cynnydd yn yr yswiriant gwladol? Beth gall Llywodraeth…

Tagged from the title of its item or question: “Draft Budget”Official Record

Jayne BryantLabour

15 January 2025, Local Government and Housing Committee

Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26: Evidence session with the Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government (Housing)

None of the £21 million is for the increased national insurance contribution. We've been explicit about that. This is something that's not devolved. We do recognise, as you have, and I've heard directly from both Llamau and Cymorth as well, and others, around the challenges. We do recognise that the…

Tagged from the title of its item or question: “Draft Budget”Official Record

Siân GwenllianPlaid

15 January 2025, Local Government and Housing Committee

Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26: Evidence session with the Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government (Housing)

Ac mae Llamau yn dweud rhywbeth tebyg hefyd ac yn galw am arian ychwanegol er mwyn gallu cynnal y lefel o wasanaeth yn sgil y cynnydd yn yr yswiriant gwladol. Faint o'r £21 miliwn yma sydd yn mynd i fynd yn ôl i'r Trysorlys yn y Deyrnas Unedig fel cyfraniadau yswiriant gwladol?

Tagged from the title of its item or question: “Draft Budget”Official Record

Siân GwenllianPlaid

15 January 2025, Local Government and Housing Committee

Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26: Evidence session with the Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government (Housing)

'there are now significant concerns about the impact of the increase in National Insurance contributions. This poses an additional huge risk to the sustainability of high-quality services, which could leave local government without the tools they need to prevent and alleviate homelessness.'

Tagged from the title of its item or question: “Draft Budget”Official Record

Siân GwenllianPlaid

15 January 2025, Local Government and Housing Committee

Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26: Evidence session with the Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government (Housing)

The issue that causes great concern, of course, is the increase in the national insurance contributions, as you mentioned. So, when that £21 million was allocated by you at the beginning, that consideration wasn't there at the time in terms of the national insurance contributions, and it is now a…

Tagged from the title of its item or question: “Draft Budget”Translated from WelshOfficial Record

Emma Williams

15 January 2025, Local Government and Housing Committee

Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26: Evidence session with the Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government (Housing)

…on the housing support grant this year and increase their budget at this point in time, rather than at final budget.

Tagged for: “final budget”Official Record

Jayne BryantLabour

15 January 2025, Local Government and Housing Committee

Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26: Evidence session with the Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government (Housing)

Yes, and I think, again, with the whole budget, this is, again, a first step after many, many years. Last year, I know that it wasn't until later on—I think it was at the budget stage—that my predecessor was able to put £13 million into that. But, we've been able to do this at this stage, which I…

Tagged from the title of its item or question: “Draft Budget”Official Record

Jayne BryantLabour

15 January 2025, Local Government and Housing Committee

Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26: Evidence session with the Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government (Housing)

Thanks, Siân. Obviously, again, it's a balance of what I'm able to do within the portfolio, but I think that what's really important is that we've been able to put that money in this year. We want to see that money going to the workforce. That's what the money's intended to be for—the paying of the…

Tagged from the title of its item or question: “Draft Budget”Official Record

Siân GwenllianPlaid

15 January 2025, Local Government and Housing Committee

Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26: Evidence session with the Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government (Housing)

Do you believe that the £21 million will mean an increase in the real living wage for everyone in the sector? Is £21 million sufficient to create the change that you and I want to see?

Tagged from the title of its item or question: “Draft Budget”Translated from WelshOfficial Record