Questions Without Notice from Party Spokespeople

Part of 1. Questions to the Minister for Finance and Trefnydd – in the Senedd at 1:53 pm on 18 September 2019.

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Photo of Rhun ap Iorwerth Rhun ap Iorwerth Plaid Cymru 1:53, 18 September 2019

(Translated)

‘Best possible settlement’, I'm afraid, doesn't give me the confidence I'm seeking, and I'm sure it wouldn't give the confidence that local authorities are seeking either. In the past, a flat settlement has been sold to local government as being good news. It is not. I mentioned Ynys Môn in the Chamber yesterday, saying that they needed £6 million. The figure varies from council to council, of course. Bridgend is looking at cuts of £35 million; there would need to be an increase in council tax of over 13 per cent to actually fill that gap in their budget. We can't go back in 2020-21 asking council tax payers in Wales to fill the gap, because the pressure would be too great on them. Additional funding must come from the Welsh Government. Councils are facing pressures of over £0.25 billion next year, and with budgets where there is discretion having been cut so sharply, there is nowhere left to cut now without going to those core fundamental services, such as children’s services, and we cannot afford to cut those. Therefore, I ask again: can I have an assurance that you won't celebrate some sort of standstill settlement as good news, but this time, you will look for an increase to correspond to what local government in Wales say that they need only to stand still?