Assembly committee opens public consultation on Welsh Government draft budget

Published 16/07/2018   |   Last Updated 26/07/2018

A National Assembly committee has opened a public consultation to gather information ahead of the Welsh Government publishing its draft budget for 2019-20.

The Finance Committee is exploring people's expectations including financial readiness and the impact of the 2018-19 budget, on behalf of the Finance Committee and the other Assembly Committees.

The budget is worth around £16 billion and is used to fund, among other things, Welsh hospitals, schools, local authorities, social services transport and the economy.

This is the first time the Welsh Government will have prepared its budget taking into account revenue raised through income tax under the Wales Act 2017, the Welsh Rate of Income Tax will account for around £2 billion of the Welsh Governments budget.

The draft proposals will be published in October 2018 and scrutinised by the Finance Committee and relevant committees for each ministerial portfolio.

"£16 billion a year sounds like a lot, but Wales has been consistently underfunded in the past," said Simon Thomas AM, Chair of the Finance Committee.

"This year will be the first time the Welsh Government has raised money through the Welsh Rate of Income Tax, so it's important to find out how the Welsh Government will maintain revenue raised through taxes and how this money will be used.

"Before the draft budget is officially announced we are asking people what they think money should be spent on and how. Those ideas and opinions will be taken into account when we begin our scrutiny in the autumn."

Anyone wishing to contribute to the inquiry should first visit the Finance Committee's web pages on the Assembly website.

The closing date for submissions is 12 September 2018.