, Equality and Social Justice Committee
Draft budget 2023-24: ministerial evidence session
I think that's a question for the whole Welsh Government, and particularly for the finance Minister. But I think work has been done on this front, and probably Hannah's the best one to answer it.
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
Draft budget 2023-24: ministerial evidence session
Well, I have allocated £130,000 to the VAWDASV revenue budget for 2023-24, which, from an indicative budget, which we've just commented on, the £7.875 million to £8.005 million, it's going to be—. We are scoping the fund. I think that was part of my response…
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
Draft budget 2023-24: ministerial evidence session
Diolch yn fawr, Sioned. I'm very mindful of the fact that the cost-of-living crisis is having an impact on the VAWDASV specialist sector. It follows on from the questions about the impact of cost of living on the voluntary sector; it is the third sector. It…
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
Draft budget 2023-24: ministerial evidence session
Where our position is with the PCSOs is the programme for government. It's very much based on the values of community, equality and social justice. They are so engaged with all of the services that are devolved in terms of mental health services, community…
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
Draft budget 2023-24: ministerial evidence session
Clearly, when we were looking at our draft budget preparations, we looked at it from the perspective and the clarity of our programme for government commitments. A very clear programme for government commitment for me, alongside the basic income pilot, was…
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
Draft budget 2023-24: ministerial evidence session
Yes. Sorry, Altaf—Maureen was just coming in to advise me there. But this does go back to the earlier questions we had about clarifying why we had this £116.9 million of funding, which was one-off and non-recurrent, which came into this financial year—£90…
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
Draft budget 2023-24: ministerial evidence session
I think—[Interruption.] Sorry?
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
Draft budget 2023-24: ministerial evidence session
Thank you very much, Altaf. It does pick up on some of my answers to earlier questions as well in terms of tackling health inequalities and also looking at some of the mechanisms that we've got, and, with the Minister for finance, some of the tools. So, I'm…
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
Draft budget 2023-24: ministerial evidence session
Thank you for that question, Ken. This is very much working in partnership with the Minister for finance, with her responsibilities in terms of the budget improvement programme. And also something that I haven't mentioned this afternoon, which has been very…
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
Draft budget 2023-24: ministerial evidence session
[Inaudible.]—Ken, and, again, this is very cross-Government, and my colleague Julie James, obviously, in relation to housing. I think it's really important that you can see in the draft budget record levels of investment in social housing grant funding, which…
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
Draft budget 2023-24: ministerial evidence session
I think, in a sense, it's ongoing. I'd be very happy to give the committee a bit of an update on that, if you like, in my correspondence, in terms of timescales. I'm not sure whether Claire might want to add something at this point.
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
Draft budget 2023-24: ministerial evidence session
Diolch yn fawr, Jane. Well, the third sector partnership council is really important. It's the forum—it's in statute, really. I chair it. And for many years, there has been a third sector partnership funding and compliance and good governance stream of work…
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
Draft budget 2023-24: ministerial evidence session
That's a really important milestone. We had a great upsurge in volunteering during the pandemic, didn't we, and actually it's been quite difficult for volunteering to recover when people came off furlough and went back to work. And I think there are the…
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
Draft budget 2023-24: ministerial evidence session
Well, just again for the record—and thank you very much, Ken, for the question—I have allocated £6.98 million core funding to Third Sector Support Wales, and that of course includes the WCVA, the Wales Council for Voluntary Action and the 19 county voluntary…
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
Draft budget 2023-24: ministerial evidence session
And perhaps just, very quickly, to say that, of course, this is very much linked to homelessness prevention as well and the grant, the Minister for Climate Change's work, for everyone in housing need, to develop transitionary accommodation, and there is…
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
Draft budget 2023-24: ministerial evidence session
Well, we are actually—. I think there are 2,400 visas, but it's still very unclear where people are in the system. We're very much dependent on the Home Office giving us the data, working with them at official level, to see whether they will actually come to…
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
Draft budget 2023-24: ministerial evidence session
Well, clearly, support for Ukrainian refugees, Ukrainian guests, the people fleeing the conflict in Ukraine, is absolutely a strong commitment as part of our nation of sanctuary, and it's ongoing, and it takes us forward into the next two years. But, as you…
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
Draft budget 2023-24: ministerial evidence session
I have already mentioned the influence of the anti-racist Wales action plan on the budget across the board in relation to some of the questions that have already been asked. It's very much a cross-Government implementation, because every Minister has actions…
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
Draft budget 2023-24: ministerial evidence session
Thank you very much for that question, Sarah. This is, I would say, ongoing work in terms of how we get to that point—that point, which we really want to succeed on, where we could incorporate the UN conventions across the board. We've got the commitments in…
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
Draft budget 2023-24: ministerial evidence session
I've just found a note to myself about Gypsy, Roma and Traveller—£3.19 million capital. We'll say what the take-up is. But can I also refer you to—? Well, you'll be aware of the Local Government and Housing Committee review on this. I don't think we've had a…
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
Draft budget 2023-24: ministerial evidence session
I think as far as the capital is concerned for the Gypsy, Traveller and Roma allocation, it's exactly the same. I don't know whether Claire or Maureen can help me with that. Claire.
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
Draft budget 2023-24: ministerial evidence session
Thank you very much, Jane. I think, in my written evidence—I was looking at it again—I included this very much under preventative spend. I mean, there's all sorts of reasons why, as you know, we're backing the basic income pilot, but if you want to be clear…
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
Draft budget 2023-24: ministerial evidence session
Thank you very much. Well, that sort of follows up very much the responses to Sioned Williams earlier on about our 'Claim what's yours' campaigns, the role of those who are giving advice, the single advice fund, Citizens Advice, local authorities, and all…
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
Draft budget 2023-24: ministerial evidence session
Diolch yn fawr, Jane. They are really important questions that I've been asking over the last year, particularly in relation to the cost of living Cabinet sub-committee: what impact, particularly, is the cost of living having on women, disabled people and…
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
Draft budget 2023-24: ministerial evidence session
I think I'm going to have to refer to the Minister for Education and Welsh Language to answer that question. Perhaps you'd like to—. We can do that and come back to you, because I'm sure there'll be questions. I mean, I think it's very interesting as well…
