WGDB25-26(6)2 Brighter Futures, 

Senedd Cymru | Welsh Parliament

Y Pwyllgor Cyllid | Finance Committee

Cyllideb Ddrafft Llywodraeth Cymru 2025-26 | Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26

Ymateb gan Brighter Futures,  | Evidence from Brighter Futures, 

1. What, in your opinion, has been the impact of the Welsh Government’s 2024-2025 Budget?

Please outline your reasons for your answer to question 1 (we would be grateful if you could keep your answer to around 500 words).

It appears that the voluntary sector / community groups and charities like ourselves are facing more challenges due to cuts to core services, however, we do not see how the WG is acknowledging or supporting this.  As you reduce spending in other areas, its us that have to take up the slack and provide services that would have historically not be our role.  We are feeling overburdened and under resourced.

2. How financially prepared is your organisation for the 2025-26 financial year, how will inflation impact on your ability to deliver planned objectives, and how robust is your ability to plan for future years?

Please outline your reasons for your answer to question 2 (we would be grateful if you could keep your answer to around 500 words).

As with much of the sector, we have to just carry on, but many groups are at breaking point and stretched in every area of work

3. What action should the Welsh Government take to:

§ help households cope with inflation and cost of living issues;

§ address the needs of people living in urban, post-industrial and rural communities, including building affordable housing and in supporting economies within those communities?

(We would be grateful if you could keep your answer to around 500 words).

support the core running costs of groups who can clearly demonstrate impact being made, ensure flexible funding is available to enable us to remain flexible and effective to local needs.  stop wasting money on expensive and ineffective authority led actions that do not reach those most in need

4. Have Welsh Government business support policies been effective, given the economic outlook for 2025-26?

(We would be grateful if you could keep your answer to around 500 words).

5. Are Welsh Government plans to build a greener economy clear and sufficiently ambitious? Do you think there is enough investment being targeted at tackling the climate change and nature emergency? Are there any potential skill gaps that need to be addressed to achieve these plans?

(We would be grateful if you could keep your answer to around 500 words).

6. Is the Welsh Government using the financial mechanisms available to it around borrowing and taxation effectively?

(We would be grateful if you could keep your answer to around 500 words).

7. The Committee would like to focus on a number of other specific areas in the scrutiny of the Budget. Do you have any specific comments on any of the areas identified below?

Is enough being done to tackle the rising costs of living and support those people living in relative income poverty?

(We would be grateful if you could keep your answer to around 500 words).

absolutely not, you need to invest in the voluntary sector to make change locally at the same time as yourselves working nationally.

How could the budget further address gender inequality in areas such as healthcare, skills and employment?

(We would be grateful if you could keep your answer to around 500 words).

no

Is the Welsh Government’s approach to preventative spending represented in resource allocations (Preventative spending = spending which focuses on preventing problems and eases future demand on services by intervening early).

(We would be grateful if you could keep your answer to around 500 words).

This is where there is a need for early intervention by supporting community led initiatives

How should the Welsh Government explain its funding decisions, including how its spending contributes to addressing policy issues?

(We would be grateful if you could keep your answer to around 500 words).

How can the documentation provided by the Welsh Government alongside its Draft Budget be improved?

(We would be grateful if you could keep your answer to around 500 words).

How should the Welsh Government prioritise its resources to tackle NHS waiting lists for planned and non-urgent NHS treatments. Do you think the Welsh Government has a robust plan to address this issue?

(We would be grateful if you could keep your answer to around 500 words).

Is the Welsh Government providing adequate support to the public sector to enable it to be innovative and forward looking through things like workforce planning.

(We would be grateful if you could keep your answer to around 500 words).

Has there been adequate investment from the Welsh Government in basic public sector infrastructure.

(We would be grateful if you could keep your answer to around 500 words).

How should the Budget support young people?

(We would be grateful if you could keep your answer to around 500 words).

How is evidence and data driving Welsh Government priority-setting and budget allocations, and is this approach clear?

(We would be grateful if you could keep your answer to around 500 words).

Is the support provided by the Welsh Government for third sector organisations, which face increased demand for services as a consequence of the cost of living crisis and the pandemic, sufficient?

(We would be grateful if you could keep your answer to around 500 words).

What are the key opportunities for the Welsh Government to invest in supporting an economy and public services that better deliver against the well-being goals in the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015?

(We would be grateful if you could keep your answer to around 500 words).