Finance Minister Rebecca Evans has said the UK Government’s Spending Review and autumn Budget contains “clear gaps in funding” where Westminster has failed to invest in Wales.
The Spending Review announced by the Chancellor on Wednesday contained no new investment for Coal Tip remediation or significant additional funding to support rail infrastructure in Wales – priorities highlighted by the Welsh Government as critical in the months leading up to the budget.
The Welsh Government stressed that its own focus now was now on delivering a Welsh Government Budget in December that builds a stronger, greener, fairer Wales.
The UK Government’s Spending Review sets out its spending plans until 2024/25. On 20 December the Welsh Government will publish its Budget outlining its own spending plans over that period.
Rebecca Evans, the Welsh Government’s Finance Minister, said, “This UK Government Spending Review hasn’t delivered for Wales. Vital funding priorities, such as the long-term remediation of coal tips and greater funding in rail infrastructure, have been ignored.
“While the Spending Review does give us some medium term financial certainty and some additional investment, it is more than offset by the inflationary and system pressures that we are facing. The budget fails to meet the scale of the challenge that families, public services and the wider economy are still facing as a result of the pandemic.
“The fact remains that there are clear gaps in funding where the UK Government should be investing in Wales and it has chosen not to.”
