SAM ROWLANDS, Member of the Welsh Parliament for North Wales, has called for substantive changes to the proposed Welsh Government budget.
Mr Rowlands, Shadow Finance Cabinet Secretary was speaking during a discussion on the Welsh Government’s draft budget.
He said: “Instead of money for schools, this Labour Government decided to spend money on imposing the default 20 mph speed limit in Wales, which garnered half a million signatures in opposition, the largest ever in the history of the Senedd. Think of all that money spent on 20 mph, which could be used to train and recruit the school workforce, to make Welsh education robust for the coming decades. Instead, we are at the bottom of the pile when it comes to Programme for International Student Assessment scores, and, sadly, the victims of a brain drain.
“Labour’s spending priorities have been all wrong. Just recently, the Finance Secretary exclaimed that ‘Wales has too many hospitals and too many beds’. And all this comes down the road at a cost of well over £100 million for more Senedd Members. To me, it seems that Welsh Labour are happy to spend more money on politicians, but not more money on hospital beds.
“Taking a moment to look at the key areas of the draft budget, starting with health, a well-functioning NHS is what people want, free to use at the point of need, but also easy to access. Sadly, the only Government across the UK to cut a health budget was the Labour Welsh Government, and they refuse to spend the full Barnett consequential for health on health. So, it’s no wonder things are broken.
“Over 100 GP surgeries have shut in Wales since 2012. It’s pushed our waiting lists to the brink, with 24,000 people waiting more than two years for treatment, and less than a 50% chance of seeing an ambulance within the eight-minute target time in an emergency.
“We know that education is the best way for people to progress, so spend in this area is key to see people able to get on in life. Sadly, we have 20% of children leaving primary school unable to read and we have a severe recruitment and retention crisis
“The education budget has only received an increase of 1.5 %. Not only is this increase paltry against the 34% increase into the central services budget, that money isn’t spent on the things needed to help our children and young people achieve in school and get those qualifications that would truly transform their lives.
“I am adamant that things don’t have to be this way. Things can be better than 25 years of failed Labour orthodoxy, propped up by Plaid Cymru, time and time again. We could have a budget that would create the right environment to enable and empower people to provide for their family, to start a business, to pursue new ideas through study and the support of others.
“I would love for the Cabinet Secretary and First Minister to make substantive changes before the final budget comes, but I won’t hold my breath.”
