Agenda and minutes

View the meeting transcript.

The reference groups will take place in Conference Room C and D, Tŷ Hywel. Please note that this item is not open to the public.

2.1 Apologies were received from Darren Millar, Lynne Neagle and Kirsty Williams. Jenny Rathbone substituted for Lynne Neagle during items 2, 3, 4 and 5.

2.2 The Committee expressed its condolences to Lynne Neagle following a family bereavement.

Vaughan Gething AM, Deputy Minister for Health

Tracey Breheny, Deputy Director, Substance Misuse Policy

Dr Sarah Watkins, Senior Medical Officer

3.1 The Deputy Minister responded to questions from Members.

3.2 The Deputy Minister agreed to provide the Committee with:

-     a note detailing the specific targets and measures that will be used by the Welsh Government to measure the effectiveness (particularly in relation to service delivery, and changing people’s behaviour) of the £50 million funding announced to tackle alcohol and substance misuse over the next year; and

-     a copy of the research undertaken by the University of Sheffield into the impact of minimum unit pricing in Wales.

4.1 The motion was agreed.

5.1 The Committee considered the evidence received.

5.2 The Committee agreed to write to the Deputy Minister seeking additional information on a number of points not covered during the meeting.

Simon Burch, Association of Directors of Social Services

Parry Davies, Association of Directors of Social Services

6.1 The witnesses responded to questions from Members.

6.2 The witnesses agreed to provide the Committee with additional information on the assessment they have conducted of the impact upon information and advice services if the first point of contact will need to be highly skilled to carry out assessments.

Emma Sands, Age Alliance Wales

Meleri Thomas, Social Care and Wellbeing Alliance Wales

Keith Bowen, Wales Carers Alliance

7.1 The witnesses responded to questions from Members.

7.2 The Chair asked the witnesses to share any comments they may have on the correspondence received from the Minister for Health and Social Services which will be circulated as a paper to note for the meeting of 17 June 2015.

Rick Wilson, Wales Alliance for Citizen Directed Support

Jim Crowe, Disability Reference Group

Samantha Clutton, Barnardo’s Cymru

8.1 The witnesses responded to questions from Members.

9.1a The Committee noted the additional information received.

9.2a The Committee noted the additional information received.

9.3a The Committee noted the correspondence.

10.1 The Committee noted the consultation responses, and considered the evidence received.

10.2 The Committee agreed to write to the Minister for Health and Social Services to highlight its concerns regarding the Code of Practice on the exercise of social services functions in relation to part 4 (Meeting needs).