Communities across Wales will benefit from a significant uplift
in funding after today's UK Government Spending Review.
Extra investment in coal tip safety and Welsh rail infrastructure
has been announced, alongside more funding for the Welsh
Government.
In total, Wales will benefit from £5bn extra in revenue and
capital over the next three years.
First Minister said:
“This Spending Review shows what can be achieved when governments
work together.
“Wales will see significant extra investment in rail
infrastructure, coal tips safety and Welsh communities will see
real benefits that improve lives and create opportunities.
“The extra £5bn of funding over the next three years means we can
better respond to our priorities. The boost in capital funding
will support our infrastructure investments including for
schools, hospitals and transport links.
“These are all significant steps forward that we can build on. We
will now use these resources to shape our budget plans, focusing
on what matters most to people across Wales."
The Spending Review provides a further £118m for coal tip safety,
alongside existing Welsh Government funding.
The Spending Review will deliver £445m of rail enhancements for
Wales. This is made up of £350m for this Spending Review period
and £95m from the 10 year infrastructure strategy.
The First Minister added:
“The additional funding for coal tips safety shows how our
governments are working together to protect communities living in
former mining areas, investing in their future. We are now
investing more than £220m to address the legacy of coal tips.
“After years of calling for fair rail funding for Wales, we
welcome this step forward. Building on our own success delivering
new Welsh-built trains, this begins to address historic
under-investment in rail infrastructure and will help to realise
our ambition to better connect communities.”
