- 19/12/2018
- Posted by: Lesley Griffiths MS
- Category: News
Additional funding for apprenticeships and for schemes aimed at tackling child poverty have been revealed by the Welsh Labour Government.
Wrexham’s Assembly Member, Lesley Griffiths has welcomed the announcements which form part of the Welsh Government’s Final Budget for the upcoming financial year.
Under the proposals, an extra £12m will fund measures to support the Welsh Government’s flagship commitment to create 100,000 all-age apprenticeships before 2021. An additional £2m will be used to help parents meet the costs of sending their children to school and extend the successful summer holiday programmes.
These extra funding allocations are in addition to the package of support for councils across Wales – worth £141.5m over 3 years – announced in November. Earlier this month, the Welsh Government also announced a further £26m will help businesses by enhancing and extending the existing High Street Rates Relief scheme.
An additional £5m will fund work following feasibility studies into a national art gallery and a national football museum, bringing the total pot to the projects for £10m.
The Welsh Government had already pledged to increase health spending by over 5%.
Lesley Griffiths AM said: “The UK Government’s unrelenting pursuit of austerity coupled with the ongoing uncertainty surrounding Brexit has undoubtable created challenges for the Welsh Government.”
“In spite of the difficult financial situation, the Welsh Labour Government continues to do its utmost to protect the people of Wales from the harshest realities of austerity and has delivered on its promise that if any additional funding was allocated to Wales, local government would be the priority.”
“The further allocations and extra investment will help ensure key public services are maintained and improved.”
The Welsh Government has been able to adapt new revenue allocations due to consequential funding from the UK Autumn Budget.
The Final Budget sets out the Welsh Government’s spending plans for 2019-20 and capital plans to 2021. AMs will debate the Final Budget in the Senedd on 15 January 2019.
