Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 5:00 pm on 25 October 2022.
Sioned Williams
Plaid Cymru
5:00,
25 October 2022
Welsh councils are warning us already that they're going to be facing huge shortfalls in their budgets as a result of the COVID pandemic, market reactions to Westminster chaos, the energy crisis and inflationary pressures because of this cost-of-living crisis. The Welsh Local Government Association has warned that councils are at risk of being forced to make significant cuts to key services. So, how is the Welsh Government supporting and working with local authorities now to ensure that there is local support and housing available for those who need it, especially given the change in support announced today?
I asked you this after your last update to the Senedd, but you didn't answer me, so I'm asking you again whether we could potentially allow our local authorities to become guarantors for Ukrainians faced with having to enter the rental market, which is, as we know, at the moment extremely competitive and costly.
Ministers make up the Government and almost all are members of the House of Lords or the House of Commons. There are three main types of Minister. Departmental Ministers are in charge of Government Departments. The Government is divided into different Departments which have responsibilities for different areas. For example the Treasury is in charge of Government spending. Departmental Ministers in the Cabinet are generally called 'Secretary of State' but some have special titles such as Chancellor of the Exchequer. Ministers of State and Junior Ministers assist the ministers in charge of the department. They normally have responsibility for a particular area within the department and are sometimes given a title that reflects this - for example Minister of Transport.
