, Plenary
Motion to vary the order of consideration of Stage 3 amendments to the Health and Social Care (Wales) Bill
I formally move the motion, Dirprwy Lywydd. And I've nothing to say in moving the motion, but reserve my right of reply if there are any speakers. Thank you.
, Health and Social Care Committee
Welsh Government draft budget 2025-26
They will be funds that will be maintained. Obviously, the amount that's going to be contained within those funds has to take all of that into account, because they have to be able to support people—so, they have to be able to provide the short break, they…
, Health and Social Care Committee
Welsh Government draft budget 2025-26
I suppose the reason I was setting that out was to set the context and to say that, because of all of that, we're taking that on board and saying how significant we know that is. Although I can't give you an absolute today, what I am saying is that we are…
, Health and Social Care Committee
Welsh Government draft budget 2025-26
Sorry.
, Health and Social Care Committee
Welsh Government draft budget 2025-26
Do you want me to cover that? Sorry, I get feedback if I've got the headphones still on, so excuse me, Mabon. I think the starting point we're talking about—. Is it one in 10 people now identify themselves as carers? That was from the last census, so it's a…
, Health and Social Care Committee
Welsh Government draft budget 2025-26
Yes.
, Health and Social Care Committee
Welsh Government draft budget 2025-26
One word answer?
, Health and Social Care Committee
Welsh Government draft budget 2025-26
Yes, I mean, that latter point that you made there is really important and that very much is part of our workforce strategy for social care. So, we've been working on this for some considerable time. We, annually, were providing Social Care Wales with around…
, Health and Social Care Committee
Welsh Government draft budget 2025-26
Can we do that, Albert?
, Health and Social Care Committee
Welsh Government draft budget 2025-26
We can do that.
, Health and Social Care Committee
Welsh Government draft budget 2025-26
We will write to you.
, Health and Social Care Committee
Welsh Government draft budget 2025-26
I'll ask Albert to say a bit more about this in a moment. And I am conscious that my predecessor did give a commitment on progress on data, and we have been making progress on that through the establishment of the national office, and Albert heads the…
, Health and Social Care Committee
Welsh Government draft budget 2025-26
Well, we will be publishing shortly, and I understand—
, Health and Social Care Committee
Welsh Government draft budget 2025-26
Well, rural councils, as I say, primarily—. I think that it is important to say that the majority of social care funding is through the RSG. We provide grant funding to support particular Government priorities, and that's primarily through regional…
, Health and Social Care Committee
Welsh Government draft budget 2025-26
—which is delivered through the revenue support grant, of course, and there is a formula that takes into account rurality, it takes into account population growth or the reductions in populations. It's why we tend to see local government allocations fluctuate…
, Health and Social Care Committee
Welsh Government draft budget 2025-26
So, what you're talking about is the local government funding formula—
, Health and Social Care Committee
Welsh Government draft budget 2025-26
It absolutely has, and I think it goes back to what the Cabinet Secretary was talking about earlier on, you know, the 50-day challenge and the work around delayed transfers of care. There is very much joint working. One can't happen without the other. That is…
, Health and Social Care Committee
Welsh Government draft budget 2025-26
—and it wouldn't be appropriate for me to sit here and talk about my personal views on another Minister's portfolio area, but what I am responsible for is social care and ensuring that we have the right policy mechanisms in place to deliver the best outcomes…
, Health and Social Care Committee
Welsh Government draft budget 2025-26
Well, you know, local government is not my responsibility in Government—
, Health and Social Care Committee
Welsh Government draft budget 2025-26
Well, it depends what you mean by 'focusing on local government'. Social care is a local government service, so focusing on local government delivering social care is clearly important. We can't change or modernise or restructure local government—. Sorry, I…
, Health and Social Care Committee
Welsh Government draft budget 2025-26
The Cabinet Secretary talked earlier on about how we’re trying to address that from an integration point of view, and there are very specific correlations between how we fund health and social care together on the integration agenda. But not everything in…
, Health and Social Care Committee
Welsh Government draft budget 2025-26
What I was saying in answer to the earlier question in terms of the national care service is that the first phase of the implementation is to undertake some research around fee methodology and funding, and how we would actually fund a national care service…
, Health and Social Care Committee
Welsh Government draft budget 2025-26
Specifically on the national care service, or social care in general?
, Health and Social Care Committee
Welsh Government draft budget 2025-26
Do you want to—?
, Health and Social Care Committee
Welsh Government draft budget 2025-26
Thank you, Joyce, for that question. And you’re absolutely right: the review that’s been commissioned in England, I think, is long overdue. I mean, we’ve been waiting for this for a long time. And I think there was some disappointment in some areas that the…
