In its meeting of the 14^th October 2008, the Children and Young People Committee scrutinised the Welsh Assembly Government draft budget 2009-10.

The following points were made during discussion:

• The Assembly Government intends to legislate to place a duty on public agencies to make and demonstrate a contribution to ending child poverty and a duty on local authorities to provide free childcare places and other early years services in specific areas
• In 2006/07, 28% of the Assembly Government’s expenditure was allocated to children
• £321m is budgeted for special educational needs provision by local education authorities in 2008/09
• £1.7m is allocated to support the provision for special services for children with autism
• £2m is being made available annually to advocacy providers through children and family organization grants, £1.85m is being provided over three years to set up the new national advocacy advice and telephone hotline
• £40k is provided in 2008/09 to develop a children’s advocacy qualification
• £6.1m is provided over the next three years to establish school counselling services

For full details, please see the Committee Transcript.