Why has the Welsh Government left £1.8 billion unspent in their latest budget when local council’s claim they are short of cash?

With the Welsh Government publishing their budget today (21st December) for next year, Welsh Conservative Shadow Finance Minister, Nick Ramsay MS, has called on the Welsh Government to provide a budget which will implement a recovery plan for Wales, not just to see Wales through the Covid-19 pandemic but to deliver the public services we deserve after twenty years of Labour-led Governments.

Commenting Nick Ramsay MS said:

“The UK Government has provided the Welsh Government with £5 billion to tackle Covid-19 over the last 9 months, on top of increasing the Welsh Government’s budget by £1.4 billion anyway this year. Next year the Welsh Government’s budget will increase by at least £1.3 billion.

“Sadly, however, the Welsh Government left £1.8 billion unspent in their latest budget.

“As the Welsh Government launch their budget today, we want to see a budget which ends the underfunding of our young people, where instead of pupils getting £1,000 more than pupils across the border, students in Wales get the same amount spent on them. This is happening despite the UK Government delivering £1.20 to Wales for every £1 spent on public services in England.

“We need a budget which works to tackle the waiting lists in our Welsh NHS. Waiting lists which doubled in the year before the pandemic hit and have since gone up eight times as much.

“Finally, the budget needs to ensure that we can build back better and deliver a brighter future for Wales. We need to end the creaking of our transport system with an M4 Relief Road, whilst also upgrading the A55 in North Wales, as well as encouraging green investment all across the country, creating jobs for local people.

“Paul Davies and the Welsh Conservatives have a recovery plan for Wales, and we need a budget to deliver that plan for more jobs, better hospitals and first class schools.”