Future-proofing high on the Budget agenda
A MAJOR theme of next year’s Budget is an emphasis on spending aimed at preventing future negative outcomes.
Finance Secretary Mark Drakeford has worked closely with Future Generations Commissioner Sophie Howe to deliver a set of spending proposals that could save money on other budget lines.
An appendix to the Budget document states: “Prevention is working in partnership to co-produce the best outcomes possible, utilising the strengths and assets people and places have to contribute. Breaking down into four levels, each level can reduce demand for the next:
■ Primary prevention: – Building resilience – creating the conditions in which problems do not arise in the future;
■ Secondary prevention – Targeting action towards areas where there is a high risk of a problem occurring. A targeted approach, which cements the principles of progressive universalism;
■ Tertiary prevention – Intervening once there is a problem, to stop it getting worse and prevent it recurring in the future;
■ Acute spending – Spending which acts to manage the impact of a strongly negative situation but does little or nothing to prevent problems occurring in the future.
“Progressive universalism is a determination to provide support for all, giving everyone and everything a voice and vested interest, but recognises more support will be required by those people or areas with greater needs.
“Pressure on resources and the very real need of public services to provide restorative interventions means that not all funding can be directed towards prevention. Some of the actions required to prevent the problems tackled by one public body or department – for example hospital admissions as a result of road accidents (NHS) – may need to be taken by an entirely different public body or department, such as the introduction of pedestrian crossings or speed restrictions (local authorities, Welsh Government or UK Government).”
Ms Howe said: “The Welsh Government Budget is the single biggest decision – or set of decisions – taken by a public body in Wales each year.
“As well as determining how public services are funded, the Budget process and specific decisions send important signals about priorities across our public services and whether those priorities are shifting in line with the aspirations set out in the Well-being of Future Generations Act.
“This will clearly be challenging for the Government as the reality is that the NHS is sucking up an increasing share of the Budget every year to treat illness, and this is at the cost of services which have a focus on keeping people well in the first place, such as libraries and community centres, social care and leisure services.
“However, this is the third draft Budget that the Welsh Government has published since the Act came into force and I am now expecting to see real change in how the Budget process and narrative are reflecting the key requirements of the legislation.
“A key aspect of this is ensuring that the Government are clear about how they need to shift from acute spending to spending on policies and services which prevent problems from occurring.
“Despite calls over a number of years and numerous recommendations from Assembly committees, a definition of ‘prevention’ has never been agreed.
“I am pleased therefore that following detailed work I have undertaken with the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and his officials over the last year that the Government have finally agreed a definition.
“While this will take a while to be fully understood across Government, I expect to see it informing spending decisions and am pleased to see some analysis in this year’s Budget.
“I am keen that these are not just cosmetic changes and to see evidence that they are being reinforced by different ways of working across Government that create the conditions for the requirements of the Well-being of Future Generations Act to be met.
“I will use my powers to scrutinise the draft Budget, with a particular concentration on the key points of the Budget overall, and analyse in more depth a number of themes and well-being objectives.”
Ms Howe singled out mental health, decarbonisation and social care as main priorities for the scrutiny she will undertake.