Part of 1. Questions to the Minister for Finance and Local Government – in the Senedd at 2:15 pm on 27 April 2022.
I think we've seen improved financial situations in councils across Wales, to be fair, and that is in part in relation to and as a result of the past three years, certainly, in terms of the budgets that Welsh Government has been able to provide to local authorities in terms of prioritising local government alongside the health service. It doesn't mean, of course, that we're not facing some difficult periods ahead. Years 2 and 3 of the spending review look particularly difficult, which is one of the reasons why, in the last financial year, I was pleased to try and find additional capital funding, particularly for local authorities, so that they could carry it through to plans for years 2 and 3 if that's what they wished to do, or spend it sooner if they wanted. I think that authorities across Wales are in a much better position than they were, but there will still be some difficult choices ahead.