I'm speaking today in support of the final budget as laid down by the finance Secretary last month. This budget shows the commitment of the Welsh Government to invest in the vital public services communities across Wales rely on. This achievement is rendered even more remarkable when we remember the damaging impact of the current UK Government's policies. The Tory obsession with their failed austerity agenda, supplemented by their economic mismanagement and their bewildering approach to Brexit has inflicted lasting damage on our economy. The consequence of this has been a decade of decline in the money available to Welsh Government for investment in Welsh public services. Tory decisions in Westminster mean that this has shrunk in real terms by 7 per cent between 2010-11 and 2019-20. That's over £1 billion less for Welsh schools, hospitals and communities. If we explore some of the detail of this Welsh Government budget, the contrast is further strengthened.

As a former teacher, education spending is important to me. I welcome the maintenance of the pupil development grant, which I know first-hand strengthens interventions to support both looked-after children and those eligible for free school meals. Similarly, the Welsh Government is putting its money where its mouth is, not just talking about school standards but earmarking £50 million to drive this up. The extra £40 million for twenty-first century schools is also an important badge of the Welsh Government's commitment to our young people. I'm proud that Cynon Valley is the constituency that has benefited most to date from this policy, with wide-ranging improvements to primary and secondary schools, including many new builds and also a brand new further education college campus. Some may say that schools are just bricks and mortar, but learning environment really does impact upon achievement, and will allow our young people every opportunity to aspire to achieve to their best.  I'm sure I do not need to remind Members of the vandalism caused in England by Michael Gove when he scrapped Building Schools for the Future. Two different paths in Government, two different stories of investment in education.

Similarly, the Welsh Government has allocated additional funding to deliver infrastructure improvements and policies that will strengthen our economy and ensure Wales can compete in the years ahead. The £173 million from reserves for the south Wales metro offers us the potential to transform our public transport network. The creation of the Welsh Development Bank and extra capital investment for Superfast Cymru is also crucial to our economic performance. In contrast, the Tories in Westminster are again failing Wales, as shown, for example, by their inactivity on the Swansea bay tidal lagoon and their reneging on railway electrification. 

I also want to take a moment to talk about the interventions included in the Welsh budget for Supporting People. I know there's been much discussion around this grant, so I welcome the Welsh Government's commitment to continuing this funding. I met with a service user group, organised by Supporting People national advisory board just yesterday, and I've visited several projects in my constituency, so I know just how crucial this line of funding is.