Janet Finch-Saunders:

I, too, would like to thank the Minister for her statement today, and for laying these regulations before the Assembly. It is fair to say that this process of providing much-needed support for our ratepayers across Wales is a lot more structured than the previous one last year, when we did see what can only be described as a fiasco. I welcome the plans that have been put in place by the Welsh Government to extend council tax reduction schemes to those most in need of support, and I am also pleased to see that the regulations include provisions now to cut down on the bureaucratic and administrative burden, which thereby achieves greater efficiency. Notwithstanding that, I totally respect, 100%, the concerns that the Chairman of our Constitutional and Legislative Affairs Committee has raised.

I do have a question relating to the funding of the scheme. As a group, we welcome the £222 million provided by the UK Government to fund the council tax reduction scheme in Wales. I am aware that the Welsh Government is putting £22 million towards it. How can we be assured that you will remain as committed in the future? Can we have some guarantees, really, that you will continue to fund this for those who are entitled to this support?

Lesley Griffiths:

Janet Finch-Saunders raised a point about finance. She mentioned the £222 million that we have had again from the UK Government, but that is flat cash: that has not been raised. We have managed to put £22 million into the revenue support grant because we thought that that was the best way of ensuring that the money went to where it needed to go. The reason that I have brought forward this review to look into how we take this scheme forward is because I do not know whether we can assure everybody that we will have that 100% entitlement as we go forward. I think that arrangements for 2015-16 onwards will be informed by the longer term review that I have commissioned. I mentioned a public consultation; I will issue it before Christmas, and I will certainly keep Members informed.