Health to get £600m boost

The health service in Wales is being offered millions of pounds more next year to tackle record high waiting times.

The Welsh Government says an extra £1.5bn will be spent on public services in its £26bn budget for next April.

All departments will see a boost – with Transport getting the biggest percentage boost to pay for upgrading the Head of the Valleys Road.

Finance Secretary Mark Drakeford said the budget was a “real opportunity” to “reinvigorate our public services”.

The Department of Health will get an extra £610m, while Housing and Local Government – ​​which funds social care – will get around £400m extra.

This is in contrast to the previous budget in which cuts were made in every department except health and transport.

Drakeford, a former First Minister, said: “This is a good budget for Wales. But it will take time to repair the damage done to Wales by 14 years of neglect by the previous UK administration.”

Most of the funding comes from the UK Government, which has given the Welsh Government a cash growth When Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced her budget in October.

But it is unclear how much money will be swallowed up by the higher National Insurance payments for employers introduced by them.

Welsh officials expect extra money to cover costs for public sector employers, but not for private companies that provide many services, including businesses that run care homes.

Key Welsh Government figures say:

• The Department of Health, which also includes child care, will get an extra 3.8% of the £435 million in day-to-day spending and an extra £175 million for infrastructure spending, known as capital.
• Housing and local government will receive an additional £279.9m (5.4%) and £120m more capital
• Transport will receive an additional £69.6m (12%) and an additional £51m in capital funding
• Education (which excludes schools, which are paid for by councils) will receive £83.6 million (4.9%), and capital funding £28 million more (8.1%).
• Climate change and rural affairs will receive an additional £36.35m (6.6%) and £71.95m more capital (31%).
• Social Justice will receive an additional £6.8m of revenue inclusion (4.7%) and £3m of capital funding

The transport boost includes the £30 million annual fee that the Welsh Government will have to pay for the privately financed Head of the Wallis Road, once it is completed.

Arts and culture bodies and Sport Wales saw cuts of 10% this year. They will get a £5 million raise next year, but it will not offset previous cuts.

The Welsh Government will need an opposition politician to help pass its plans in the Senedd, with a final vote planned for March 2025.

A plaid Cymru politician appeared to rule out any compromise on the budget on Tuesday morning.

The party’s finance spokesman, Haled Fychan, when asked whether he was open to a budget deal on Radio Wales Breakfast, said, “No. We want proper funding for Wales.”

Jane Dodds, the only Welsh Liberal Democrat in the Senedd, told Radio Cymru that she did not deny involvement.

“It’s important that we get the budget and that we get all the money,” he said. “I’m willing to talk to them but I don’t know yet what will happen.”