Making our mark in the Senedd: February 2022

Bevan Foundation A picture of a building lit up
Photo courtesy of Nick Fewings on Unsplash
NewsMarch 11th, 2022

The Bevan Foundation was pleased that its work on the cost of living crisis, fuel poverty and entrepreneurship were mentioned many times in the Senedd in February.

Cost of living crisis

The dramatic increases in the cost of living were debated several times during the month.  In Plenary on 2nd February, Jane Hutt MS, Minister for Social Justice, said:

“the cost-of-living pressures … are so real and are so vivid and coming through every day in terms of reports from the Resolution Foundation, the Bevan Foundation”

A week later, the Minister set out the organisations that were to attend a round table discussion on the cost of living saying:

We have invited all of the organisations that are at the sharp end of tackling poverty across Wales. Obviously, that includes those not just in terms of food poverty … and fuel poverty [but] those advisers who are important to us, such as the Bevan Foundation

There was more praise immediately before the round table discussion, on 15th February.  Adam Price MS, Leader of Plaid Cymru, urged the Welsh Government to look at the Bevan Foundation’s ideas by saying:

“One of the leading organisations that will be at Thursday’s summit will be the Bevan Foundation. … Can we look at the ideas that the foundation and others are suggesting?”

In response, Mark Drakeford MS, First Minister, said:

I’m very glad indeed that the Bevan Foundation will be part of Thursday’s round-table and very much welcome the work that they do here in Wales. 

Fuel Poverty

The Bevan Foundation’s work is also informing debate in the Senedd on fuel poverty.  On 9th February 2022, Peredur Owen Griffiths MS mentioned the Bevan Foundation’s views on the future of the Warm Homes programme in plenary:

Many, including the Bevan Foundation, have argued that a single programme cannot have a dual aim of reducing fuel poverty and decarbonising homes. 

A few days later, on 14th February 2022, the Bevan Foundation gave oral evidence to the Equality and Social Justice Committee’s inquiry into fuel poverty. The transcript of our evidence session is here

Enterprise

On a different subject, we were pleased that the Senedd Member for the Cynon Valley, Vikki Howells, mentioned our findings on the need for new businesses in the area and asked what was being done to stimulate new enterprises (Plenary, 16th February 2022).

recent research from the Bevan Foundation suggests that there needs to be at least 1,000 new businesses in the Cynon Valley just to match the Welsh average. How can Welsh Government work to accelerate the rate of start-ups in the Cynon Valley and help to close this worrying gap?


We are only able to make these invaluable contributions to public policy in Wales thanks to the generosity of the individuals, organisations and trusts and foundations that support us. Thank you / diolch!

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