Government spending scheme requires ‘immediate change’

According to a group of SenedD members, the Welsh government’s draft budget is “filled with empty words”.

The Finance Committee of Sendd said that spending plans required “immediate change” and the cost of living crisis should be “high priority”.

Sendd will vote on plans to spend on Tuesday before the final vote in March.

The Welsh government said it would consider the recommendations of the committee.

Finance Secretary Mark Drakeford published his draft £ 26BN budget in December.

Under the proposals, all government departments will be seen in 2025-26, contrary to the budget of 2024-25, in 2025-26, the funding increase will be seen, which cut on all departments other than health.

In the new budget, the increase in funding from the new labor government in Westminster benefits.

Announcing the plans, Drakeford stated that the budget “gives us optimism about a bright future”.

However, according to Sendd’s Finance Committee, who is investigating the plans, it was “clear whether the measures match that rhetoric”.

The committee chairman said, “Today’s report underlines serious concerns about the proposed budget and provides clear recommendations to the Welsh government to consider.”

“If the upcoming budget is to indicate a new beginning and a break from penance, then unfortunately some work is still to be done.”

The report claimed that the cost of the living crisis “got entangled in the daily life of many people in Wales” and Welsh Sarkar “was away from providing rapid cost of living support”.

Owen Griffiths said, “We know that the cost of living challenges that do not face many people and our message is clear to the Welsh government: now is not the time to cut back to support the weak people,” Owen Griffiths Said.

The report, which makes 39 recommendations, was supported by all four members of the committee including the Labor MSS.

This called for more funds to be spent on preventive measures to deal with poverty and health issues, accusing the government of “long -term, strategic budgeting” of focusing more on fire fighting issues.

The committee also expressed concern about the upcoming increase in the national insurance contribution to be paid by the employers – the announcement made in the budget of the Chancellor in Westminster.

The UK government has promised Welsh government funds to cover additional costs for public sector employers in Wales, but it is still not known how much will be made available or if it will be provided or if it is serving the third sector organizations For covered by enlarged bills will be stretched. For the public sector.

Drakeford said he did not expect to know how much money he would get from Westminster by “May or June”, although the committee asked for an update “as urgency”.

Without a majority in SenedD, labor will need to attack a deal with another party to get a budget.

While Tuesday’s vote will not have any binding result, a defeat for the government will highlight that pressure before the final important vote in March.

A spokesperson of the Welsh government said: “We will carefully consider the report of the Finance Committee before our proposed final budget, which will be kept later in February.”