7. Debate: The Second Supplementary Budget 2017-18

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 4:57 pm on 6 March 2018.

Alert me about debates like this

Photo of Jane Hutt Jane Hutt Labour 4:57, 6 March 2018

In your second supplementary budget, Cabinet Secretary, you were able to release some funding as a result of your careful preparation for the Chancellor's 2017 November budget and other fiscal factors, and I'm particularly interested in positive outcomes for education and housing in relation to Welsh Government priorities. Can you clarify what you were able to achieve via capital and/or revenue to support these priorities? 

Can I take the opportunity, Dirprwy Lywydd, to comment on the challenging context of the second supplementary budget, which I fully support and, indeed, fully support the Finance Committee's report as well? I note that the Institute for Fiscal Studies has acknowledged the overall UK deficit budget has been eliminated. Due you agree that this is by no means an achievement, as George Osborne has declared, when the impact of balancing the budget has fallen most severely on women and low-income groups? And do you agree with economist Ann Pettifor that this so-called achievement has decimated our public services, and under George Osborne's watch total managed expenditure was cut by £14 billion in real terms, and public sector investment went from £60 billion in 2010 to £35 billion in 2016? This is the context in which you have had to work, and do you agree that the UK Government needs to acknowledge the real needs of our public services and health, education and housing and change track after nine years of austerity?