How we informed Senedd debate in May 2022

The Bevan Foundation’s work has made a significant contribution to debate in the Senedd this month, informing several Senedd committee inquiries

Cost of living inquiry

We were pleased to be invited to give oral evidence to the Senedd’s Economy, Trade and Rural Affairs Committee on 26^th May. The Committee is looking at the impact of the cost of living crisis.  Our findings from our surveys of the impact of rising prices on people in Wales and our ideas for action were a key input. We appeared alongside representatives from the Wales TUC and Citizens Cymru, and together we painted a compelling picture of the pressures on low-income households.

The evidence session was held just hours before the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s £15 billion package of cost of living measures were announced, so we are submitting additional evidence on the proposals.

The Committee’s report and recommendations are due to be published shortly.

Warm homes

Earlier in the month, the Senedd’s Equality and Social Justice Committee published the findings of its inquiry into Fuel Poverty and the Warm Homes Programme. We are pleased that the Committee’s final report reflects our evidence.

In total the Committee made 23 recommendations to the Welsh Government. Many of these are in line with arguments made by the Bevan Foundation. We are delighted that the Committee have taken these on board in its recommendations for both short- and longer-term action.

Local communities

In plenary on 4^th May, Mark Isherwood MS quoted our views on Communities First – the Welsh Government’s now-closed neighbourhood regeneration programme. He was speaking in the Welsh Conservatives’ debate about local communities. The original motion proposed that the Senedd ‘believes that the Labour Welsh Government is failing local communities’.  It was amended to say that the Senedd ‘recognises the Welsh Government has acted to protect communities across Wales from the UK Government’s failure to take seriously the cost-of-living crisis and its refusal to reverse its harmful cut to universal credit’. The amended motion was passed.