7. Will the Welsh Government provide an update on the invest-to-save programme? OQ59628

Yes, I will. Since its introduction in 2009, the invest-to-save programme has supported approximately 200 projects, with an aggregate value in the region of £200 million. Most recently, it has provided funding for three new projects, helping us to deliver our programme for government commitment in respect of looked-after children. 

Can I thank the Minister for that response? Invest-to-save is a project I've consistently supported. Using investment to produce long-term savings by greater efficiency will increase productivity. This is the way forward for the public sector, assuming we're not going to have infinite sums of money in the future. Will the Minister comment on the success of invest-to-save and how the learning from projects is being copied by other organisations? As we've seen far too often, in Wales, everyone has to discover the benefits themselves as if it was for the first time.

Absolutely, and I share Mike Hedges's passion, if you like, for invest-to-save and everything that that means for the future way in which we fund various things across Wales. And at this point, I just really recognise the work that Jane Dodds has done in this space as well, because the work that we're funding at the moment comes very much as part of the discussions that Jane and I had during the budget negotiations and discussions the year before last. So, as a result of that now, we have projects funding advocacy services to prevent families from breaking up; £1 million is now with the National Adoption Service to continue their Fostering Wellbeing programme; and also £4.4 million to support Foster Wales and enable them to expand their provision so that they can improve the ability of local authority fostering services to retain and support foster carers. So, I think all of that is really important, and I think the learning will spread probably more easily in the space of looked-after children and foster carers than it has in some other places. I know one of Mike Hedges's real concerns, and mine too, has been about how it's been difficult to move the success from the projects that have been supported through invest-to-save to making it kind of business as usual, making it the natural choice for businesses—sorry, for organisations—across Wales.

We did have some work done with Cardiff University, Nesta, that looked at why good practice was struggling to be spread across Wales through the invest-to-save scheme, and I think that we've been able to use that learning to find better ways to support some of the work that has taken place.

Currently, we have the invest-to-save funds ring-fenced within the health and social services group, and also within the looked-after children's team. I'll perhaps write to Mike Hedges with a bit more information about those things.