The UK Government's Budget

Part of 1. Questions to the Minister for Economy – in the Senedd at 2:15 pm on 3 November 2021.

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Photo of Vaughan Gething Vaughan Gething Labour 2:15, 3 November 2021

That is extraordinary, absolutely extraordinary, and it was factually simply wrong to say this is a generous settlement. What we have seen are cuts to Wales from the levelling-up funding. It's undeniably the case. The money is being cut, but the Conservatives here want to celebrate that. That is just extraordinary, and more than that, the reality is that the recent budget does not replace the money taken away during austerity. In real terms, we will do not much more than flatline on revenue, but in capital terms, we've seen a real-terms cut over the last period in the spending review. That is what Laura Jones and the Conservatives want to celebrate. It is appalling, and I really do say to Conservatives in this place: whose side are you on? Are you on the side of the people of Wales who are having money cut from them, from the businesses that won't have the support they would otherwise have? Are you on the side of those people who need training, the skills, the apprenticeships, the money that previously supported them? Are you on the side of innovation and research, which have been cut because of the way that the UK Government have refused to engage with us and the cuts to the funding that would be otherwise available? At this point in time, you're on entirely the wrong side. Do your job and stand up for Wales.