In its meeting of 22 October 2008, the Communities and Culture Committee scrutinised the Welsh Assembly Government’s Draft Budget 2009-10 and took evidence as part of its inquiry into domestic violence.

Points made in discussion regarding the draft budget included:

• the £1.5 million towards new sites for Gypsies and Travellers should provide around one new site per year
• a Community Cohesion Strategy is being developed, which will go to Cabinet within the next six weeks and then, hopefully, out for consultation
• additional money has been allocated towards the development of sexual assault referral centres over the next 12 to 18 months
• funding has been allocated towards promoting a benefit uptake programme
• £0.5 million has been allocated to rolling out credit unions in every secondary school
• there is investment into a Welsh Financial Education Unit aiming to improve the level of financial literacy in Wales

As part of its inquiry into domestic violence, the Committee heard evidence from Cardiff Prison, Gwent Victim Support, the Legal Services Commission and Sea Change Domestic Violence Training and Consultancy.

For full details, please read the Committee transcript.