16. Finance Committee Debate: The Welsh Government's Spending Priorities for the Draft Budget 2021-22 in light of COVID-19

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 5:53 pm on 15 July 2020.

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Photo of Huw Irranca-Davies Huw Irranca-Davies Labour 5:53, 15 July 2020

Thank you, acting Presiding Officer, and I'd like to speak up for the humble footpath, because what people have discovered during the coronavirus, for all its challenges, is actually the joy of walking on their local footpaths. It really has helped with issues around mental health as well and mental well-being, and it'll be the same going forward. But, because of the years of austerity, between 2014-15 and 2018-19, the budgets for footpath maintenance have reduced by 22 per cent. We now spend 79p per person in Wales; we should we spending about £1. We used to be—we had the reputation of being the leader in terms of our maintenance of footpaths amongst all the nations. So, it's a small ask, but, in the country with the patron saint of small things that are very important, I would say to the Minister: in green infrastructure, in environmental spending, let's put the best foot forward and put the money into footpath maintenance for our local authorities and rights of way—it's good for mental health, good for so many things. Diolch yn fawr iawn.