8. Will the Minister make a statement on Isle of Anglesey County Council's budget? OQ57935

I prioritised funding for local government when setting the Welsh budget. In 2022-23, the Isle of Anglesey will receive £114.6 million through the local government settlement, an increase of 9.2 per cent. This good settlement allows the council to set a budget to maintain and invest in services. 

It's good to see some kind of loosening in terms of the budgets this year, but councils under the leadership of all parties will have faced major budgetary challenges over the past few years. But despite that, the situation in Anglesey has been transformed. In 2017-18 the Wales Audit Office criticised the council on Anglesey quite severely for how vulnerable its financial situation was and how fragile its situation was. But by now they've acknowledged the excellent work that has been done to transform the situation to place the council in a sufficiently strong position in terms of its budget. Now, it's important that we do appreciate and value the work of our councillors in all parts of Wales. So, does the Minister agree with me that this transformation has been possible because of the clear vision and stability of the leadership of Plaid Cymru and its partners on that council?

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.