People are being asked how the Welsh Government should spend its £16 billion budget in 2017-18 in a new consultation from the National Assembly’s Finance Committee.
The Committee will consider the detailed proposals when the draft budget is published in October.
Among the key questions Assembly Members will be asking are:
- What spending commitments and priorities would you like to see in the 2017-18 draft budget in order to ensure that progress is being made on preventative spending and, in particular, the area of health and social services?
- What spending commitments and priorities would you like to see in the 2017-18 draft budget in order to ensure that progress is being made on reducing poverty and preparing for an aging population?
- Do you feel that allocations made by the Welsh Government are sufficiently evidence based?
The Committee will also be focusing in particular on how the Welsh Government and government-funded bodies are preparing for the Wales Bill which, if passed, will mean tax-raising powers in areas such as stamp duty and landfill levies being passed to Wales.
“The next few years will be among the most critical in Wales’s development,” said Simon Thomas AM, Chair of the Finance Committee.
“With revenue-raising powers being devolved to Wales, and the implications of leaving the European Union yet to be realised, we need a Welsh Government that has a clear purpose and direction.
“We will be looking at the draft budget to judge whether or not it can deliver the best possible value to Wales.
“Before we reach that stage, it is important that we assess how the Welsh Government is performing against its own objectives, and we need people to tell us how they think it’s doing.
“That is why we are gathering opinions and ideas now, through expert advice, relevant authorities and an online survey for people to contribute to our inquiry and help form our recommendations.”
Details of the inquiry consultation, including links to the online survey can be found on the Finance Committee’s web pages and Twitter channel @SeneddFinance.