Senedd to vote on £354m Supplementary Budget, with £145m for NHS waiting times
The Senedd votes on Tuesday 3 November on a £354m Supplementary Budget that the Welsh Government says will go on shorter NHS waiting times, more childcare, free school meals and support for children with additional learning needs. The vote follows an agreement with Welsh Labour, according to the Welsh Government.
What the money is for
The largest single item is £145m for the NHS to help patients be seen more quickly. There is £55m for funded childcare, which the Welsh Government says will help hundreds more families access places for two-year-olds, £15m so more secondary school pupils from families on Universal Credit can receive free school meals, and an extra £60m for Additional Learning Needs.
Full breakdown
The Welsh Government's list of allocations is: £145m for the NHS; £60m for Additional Learning Needs; £55m for childcare; £40m for schools; £20m for social housing; £15m for extended free school meals; £8m for the Young Person's bus fare; £5m for the Community Facilities Programme; £2m for North-South coach travel; £2m for the Cynnal child payment; and £2m for school swimming. The NHS line is the largest, at about 41% of the £354m total. The NHS, Additional Learning Needs and childcare together come to £260m, around 73%. These shares are Cover Wales arithmetic on the Welsh Government's listed allocations, which add up to the £354m total.
What the minister said
Cabinet Minister for Finance Elin Jones said: "The people of Wales have told us what matters most, and this Supplementary Budget delivers on those priorities." She added that the government was investing carefully "so that every pound makes the greatest difference".
What happens next
The Supplementary Budget will be debated and voted on in the Senedd on Tuesday 3 November. It provides the foundations for the Welsh Government's Draft Budget, which is due to be published on Tuesday 17 November and will set out spending plans for the coming years. The figures above are the Welsh Government's own account of its plans; Cover Wales will report the result of the vote.