Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced in the Budget that Welsh Government's Barnett-based funding will reach a record 拢18bn per year.

This is a 2.6% rise in the Welsh Government鈥檚 budget each year and Uk Government said that Wales will now receive around 拢120 per person for every 拢100 per person of equivalent 海角视频 Government spending in England.

But with 海角视频 inflation tipped to hit 4% in the coming months any increase could be swallowed up by rising costs.

Welsh Government Finance Minister Rebecca Evans said there were 鈥渃lear gaps in funding鈥 where Westminster has failed to invest in Wales.

Levelling-Up Fund

View of Pontcysyllte Aqueduct in the Trevor Basin
View of Pontcysyllte Aqueduct in the Trevor Basin


The Levelling Up Fund and Shared Prosperity Fund are designed to replace the EU funds that Wales lost when the 海角视频 left the EU

Spending decisions over where that money goes have now moved from Wales to Westminster.

海角视频 Government announced 拢121 million of the Levelling Up Fund in 10 projects.

The schemes are:

  1. Carmarthenshire's Tywi Valley Path gets 拢16.7m
  2. Carmarthen and Pembroke Hwb gets 拢19.9m
  3. Ceredigion council's bid for Aberystwyth will get 拢10.8m
  4. Muni Arts Centre in RCT receives 拢5.3m
  5. Porth Transport Hub in RCT gets 拢3.5m
  6. Heart of Pembrokeshire Rediscovering receives 拢17.7m
  7. The A4119 Coed-ely dualling schemes in Pontypridd receives 拢11.4m
  8. The plan to redevelop Theatyr Brycheiniog in Brecon gets 拢6.9m
  9. The bid to "revitalise the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and Canal World Heritage Site" receives 拢13.3m
  10. Montgomery Canal Restoration receives 拢15.4m

If the 海角视频 had remained in the EU, Wales would have had new EU Structural funding worth at least 拢375 million each year for seven years from January 2021.

海角视频 Government today confirmed total funding will, at a minimum, match the size of EU Funds in Wales each year through the over 拢2.6bn 海角视频 Shared Prosperity Fund, which will invest in skills, people, businesses, and communities, including through 鈥楳ultiply鈥, a new adult numeracy programme that will provide people across Wales with essential numeracy skills.

Additional spending in Wales:

  • Over 拢460,000 of the Community Ownership Fund for three projects in Llandwrog, Pen-y-Waun, and Tredegar that are protecting valued community assets.
  • Providing 拢0.9 billion for farmers and land managers and 拢6.2 million to support fisheries.
  • A Veterans Commissioner for Wales, who will work to improve the lives and opportunities of the Welsh veterans鈥 community.
  • Up to 拢50,000 to develop an early-stage proposal to reinstate a passenger rail services from Gaerwen to Amlwch on Anglesey. Welsh Government will match the funding to give a 拢100K boost.
  • Accelerating 拢105m for the Cardiff City Region Deal to fast-track projects that range from innovation and Fintech, to manufacturing and infrastructure.
  • Establishing a new trade and investment hub in Cardiff to grow trade for Wales.

海角视频-wide support

  • A 50% cut in domestic Air Passenger Duty for flights between England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and an additional 拢22.5 million of new funding in anticipation of the Union Connectivity Review recommendations where we will work with the devolved administrations on improving 海角视频-wide connectivity. The duty cut will support Cardiff airport and potentially the Anglesey/Cardiff airlink if it returns.

  • New funding for the British Business Bank to establish a 拢130 million fund in Wales, helping Welsh businesses to get the funding they need.
  • The new 拢1.4 billion Global Britain Investment Fund which will support investment directly into Wales.
  • A record 拢20 billion by 2024-25 in Research and Development supporting innovation in Wales.
  • Confirmation that total funding will, at a minimum, match the size of EU Funds in Wales each year through the over 拢2.6bn 海角视频 Shared Prosperity Fund, which will invest in skills, people, businesses, and communities, including through 鈥楳ultiply鈥, a new adult numeracy programme that will provide people across Wales with essential numeracy skills.
  • 拢120 million for a new Future Nuclear Enabling Fund to support nuclear projects, with Wylfa in Anglesey, North Wales, as a potential site.
  • Selection of the Hynet cluster as one of the first clusters under the Carbon Capture Usage and Storage (CCUS) Infrastructure Fund, bringing investment to North Wales
  • An increase to the National Minimum Wage of 拢9.50 an hour, with young people and apprentices also seeing increases.
  • Freezes to fuel duty for the twelfth consecutive year, as well as a freeze on alcohol duty and a freeze on Vehicle Excise Duty for heavy goods vehicles.
  • 拢140 million to provide revenue support for hydrogen production, including the Holyhead Hydrogen Hub, and heavy industrial firms across the 海角视频 who adopt carbon capture, utilisation and storage.

What 海角视频 Government said:

Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak said: 鈥淎n additional 拢2.5 billion per year in Barnett funding means the Welsh Government is well-funded to deliver all their devolved responsibilities while the people in Wales will also benefit from this Government鈥檚 commitment to levelling up opportunity and delivering for all parts of the 海角视频.

鈥淲e are continuing to boost industry and jobs and improve infrastructure and public services throughout Wales.鈥

Secretary of State for Wales, Simon Hart said: 鈥淭his is a fantastic budget for Wales, delivering significant investment directly to people, businesses and communities across the country.

鈥淭he devolved administration in Wales will receive its largest-ever settlement so it can deliver its vital services like health, education and flood protection, while Wales will benefit fully from many of our 海角视频-wide measures including freezes to fuel and alcohol duty, the increase in the minimum wage for thousands of workers and investment in parks and sports facilities."

Welsh Government response:

Finance Minister Rebecca Evans has said the 海角视频 Government鈥檚 Spending Review and autumn Budget contains 鈥渃lear gaps in funding鈥 where Westminster has failed to invest in Wales.

She said it contained no new investment for Coal Tip remediation or significant additional funding to support rail infrastructure in Wales 鈥 priorities highlighted by the Welsh Government as critical in the months leading up to the budget.

Rebecca Evans, the Welsh Government鈥檚 Finance Minister, said: 鈥淭his 海角视频 Government Spending Review hasn鈥檛 delivered for Wales. Vital funding priorities, such as the long-term remediation of coal tips and greater funding in rail infrastructure, have been ignored.

鈥淲hile the Spending Review does give us some medium term financial certainty and some additional investment, it is more than offset by the inflationary and system pressures that we are facing. The budget fails to meet the scale of the challenge that families, public services and the wider economy are still facing as a result of the pandemic.

鈥淭he fact remains that there are clear gaps in funding where the 海角视频 Government should be investing in Wales and it has chosen not to. Arrangements for replacing EU Structural Funds remain unclear but what we do know is it falls well short of the 拢375m we were receiving 鈥 these are funds that support skills, businesses and decarbonisation.

"HS2 is expected to have a negative impact of 拢150m per year on the Welsh economy, while the failure to back a long-term solution for Wales鈥 coal tips could create an additional financial pressure of at least 拢60m per year."

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