Rebecca Evans: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. I hadn’t intended to use this debate to educate Members about the 2020-21 consolidated accounts, but I will begin with that, because we’ve had a number of contributions that have just been so factually incorrect it’s very difficult to let them go. So, we’re talking here about the year that was the pandemic year. Obviously, that was an exceptional...
Rebecca Evans: We are working with local authorities as they plan for local elections in May 2022. Education and communications campaigns will encourage citizens to understand the critical role local government plays and why voting matters. We will also work to tackle the barriers which prevent individuals’ active participation in local democracy.
Rebecca Evans: ...demonstrated by the range of allocations I have made to directly support children and young people, including targeted support for the most vulnerable such as £23.3 million extra for free school meals and an extra £2 million for PDG Access.
Rebecca Evans: We have successfully concluded two procurement exercises, establishing the Welsh Education Partnership and awarding a contract to complete dualling of the A465. These contracts were contested by a wide range of bidders demonstrating the attractiveness of the model and that of Wales as a place of investment.
Rebecca Evans: ...infrastructure across all parts of Wales. Investments in South Wales West include £9.7 million to improve the neonatal care unit in Singleton Hospital and the £29 million twenty-first century schools development at Cefn Saeson in Neath Port Talbot.
Rebecca Evans: Funding early intervention services has been an important consideration in allocating the 2020-21 budget. For example, in 2020-21 we have doubled funding for our whole-school approach to mental health to £5 million, invested £5.5 million to support Healthy Weight: Healthy Wales and invested an additional £3.5 million for the Flying Start approach.
Rebecca Evans: ...Tydfil and Rhymney, including £225 million planned for improvements to Prince Charles Hospital, a further £42.5 million approved in principle for the second wave of the twenty-first century schools programme, and over £2 million through the social housing grant in 2019-20.
Rebecca Evans: ...funded infrastructure projects across Wales worth nearly £15 billion. Along with our future plans, our investments in Pembroke will include over £130 million as part of our twenty-first century schools programme, and £45 million for improvements to the A40.
Rebecca Evans: We are allocating in full the consequential of £38 million for 2019-20 as a result of funding allocated to the Department for Education in England, plus allocating nearly £10 million additional from reserves, to provide £47.7 million this year for maintained schools, including sixth forms and FE collages, to meet these costs.
Rebecca Evans: The Welsh Government is supporting credit unions to deliver school savers projects. These help teach children good savings habits and money management skills from a young age, whilst also enhancing numeracy and financial literacy.
