, Finance Committee
Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26: Evidence session 6
Sorry, Darren. Carry on.
, Finance Committee
Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26: Evidence session 6
Thank you very much. I'll come to Mike Hedges now.
, Finance Committee
Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26: Evidence session 6
Forgive my ignorance slightly. The letter that comes out, is it tailored per health board, or is it a one to all health boards? It's just for my knowledge, really. Is it a letter to you or is it a letter to everyone?
, Finance Committee
Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26: Evidence session 6
And what's changed?
, Finance Committee
Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26: Evidence session 6
So, it's a bit more urgency around it, rather than—. It's probably a 'yes' or 'no' question, actually. Has the Welsh Government sent the allocation letter and the NHS planning framework for next year to NHS bodies? And if so, has it set out the headline…
, Finance Committee
Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26: Evidence session 6
No problem there. Thanks for that, because I think it gets to the crux of the difficulties with this. I'll come to you in just a second there, Darren, because in your briefing for the Senedd's debate on the draft budget, you said, 'The NHS requires clear and…
, Finance Committee
Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26: Evidence session 6
Thank you for that. From a social services point of view, then, Lance, that's a little bit towards the more preventative aspect rather than the acute, if you like, or firefighting, as Darren explained it there. Any further thoughts on that balance between the…
, Finance Committee
Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26: Evidence session 6
Jane, I saw you were nodding to that bit there. So, from a corporate services point of view, and from doing this, what are your views on the question of whether the balance is right and some of the things that you've heard there?
, Finance Committee
Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26: Evidence session 6
So, have the Government actually got the balance right at the minute, or you'd say, 'No, it needs to change'?
, Finance Committee
Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26: Evidence session 6
But, looking at the performance and outcomes that are in health bodies in Wales, the report from Audit Wales on cancer services said that: 'Variations in performance and outcomes persist within and between health bodies in Wales'. It was quite a hard-hitting…
, Finance Committee
Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26: Evidence session 6
And that's one of the things with Barnett—they have to spend it first before we get any of that money to come to our services. Again, we won't go into that discussion this morning.
, Finance Committee
Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26: Evidence session 6
Darren, you were nodding along to a lot of that. Did you want to comment briefly, before I move on to the next question?
, Finance Committee
Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26: Evidence session 6
The Welsh NHS Confederation has suggested ring fencing around some budgets, and, Lance, it might be interesting to understand what your take is on that idea of ring-fencing increases in funding for social care. How do you think that might work, or how does…
, Finance Committee
Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26: Evidence session 6
Lance, did you want to come in from the social services side?
, Finance Committee
Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26: Evidence session 6
Darren, and maybe then Lance to give the other side of the coin, if you like.
, Finance Committee
Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26: Evidence session 6
Sam, did you want to come in?
, Finance Committee
Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26: Evidence session 6
Catherine, do you want to come in on that?
, Finance Committee
Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26: Evidence session 6
Mike, did you want to come in on this?
, Finance Committee
Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26: Evidence session 6
Is that siloed way of looking at budgets a problem in allowing that money or resource to flow from one to the other?
, Finance Committee
Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26: Evidence session 6
Last year, we were talking around this time on budgets again, and talking about the interplay between social services and the NHS. Have you seen any difference between last year's approach to the budget and this year in trying to marry up that? Because I…
, Finance Committee
Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26: Evidence session 6
Jane, maybe from the treasurers' point of view, do you have a slightly different view, or a similar view? Because, obviously, you have a broader view, I suppose.
, Finance Committee
Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26: Evidence session 6
And then from social services, Lance, what are your thoughts?
, Finance Committee
Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26: Evidence session 6
Croeso. Thank you very much for making the time to come and talk to us this morning. The NHS and social services—and services in general—are a major part of the Welsh Government's budget. We're exploring your views on the draft budget and allocations, and how…
, Finance Committee
Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26: Evidence session 6
And Lance as well, please.
, Finance Committee
Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26: Evidence session 6
Croeso. Where shall we go next? We'll go to Jane next.
