Welsh budget is missed opportunity say Plaid and Tories

This year's Welsh budget is a missed opportunity for major change to public services, opposition politicians claim.

AMs had the first chance to scrutinise the Welsh Government's spending plans for 2019/20 on Tuesday.

Plaid Cymru accused the Welsh Government of showing "no innovation or imagination", while the Conservatives said it was "mundane".

Finance minister Rebecca Evans said the budget backs its plans for a "more prosperous and greener Wales".

Every Welsh Government department will see an increase in funding from next April.

It is the first time in a decade that has happened, and follows the announcement of £600m extra from the UK government in 2019.

As part of the plans the Welsh NHS will receive around £340m extra from April, while council funding will rise by 4.3%.

Expenditure in the main areas from the Welsh Government budget over the last four years

Conservative AM Darren Millar told the chamber the UK government had brought the Welsh block grant to a "record high level".

"We've got a golden opportunity in this budget, a golden opportunity to invest in people's priorities, to drive a more dynamic economy," he said.

"I'm afraid it's an opportunity which the Finance Minister has, of course, missed."

"Where there was an opportunity to be radical, you've stuck to the tried, tested and failed approach of Welsh Governments of the past."

He reiterated criticism not to go ahead with the M4 Relief Road, criticised £4.8m for Cardiff Airport, and called for a funding floor to level out differences in increases for councils.

"The funding increases vary from three per cent in Conservative-run Monmouthshire to 5.4 per cent in Labour-run Newport right next door."

'Change culture'

Plaid Cymru AM Rhun ap Iorwerth also said the budget was an "opportunity missed."

"We are in a position where every expenditure heading has seen an increase, I believe, and after a decade of continuous cuts in most areas that is something of a relief," he said.

"But what disappoints me... more than anything is the lack of any sign that this Labour government is willing to take this opportunity to change direction in a meaningful way, to change culture in any significant way or to think in the longer term.

"What we have here is another budget which is managerial but demonstrates no innovation or imagination."

"I can't see in this budget a sign of a government really tackling the climate crisis," he added.

Rebecca Evans accused the UK government of "unpredictability when it comes to managing the nation's finances"

Finance minister Rebecca Evans said at the start of the debate that "despite claims that austerity is over, the Welsh Government budget in 2020/21 will be nearly £300m lower in real terms" than the year before.

She accused the UK government of "unpredictability when it comes to managing the nation's finances" after "months of uncertainty and a cancelled budget". The UK government announced on Tuesday its plans for a budget on 11 March.

"I am proud that this fifth - and final - budget of this Assembly term delivers on the key spending pledges we made to the people of Wales in 2016 on all-age apprenticeships, school improvement, childcare, help for small businesses, quick access to new treatments, affordable housing, and much more."

She said ministers were "allocating a new £140m package of capital funding to support our ambitions for decarbonisation and to protect our wonderful environment".

Accusations of bias in how councils are funded is "shameful", she said, adding funding is distributed according to "relative need".