Welsh government and Labour in mini-budget deal with £60m for ALN


ALN is the equivalent education system in Wales to special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in England.

The Welsh government received extra cash as a result of more SEND spending in England to help schools struggling with debt, and Labour had argued for some of that to be given to schools in Wales.

Rob Kelsall, assistant general secretary of NAHT, said school leaders across Wales would be asking “what happened to the £322m that became available to Wales as a result of additional SEND funding in England?”

He said: “What has emerged is a package that falls substantially short of that figure and asks schools to be grateful for receiving only a fraction of what should have been available to learners with additional needs.”

Welsh Education Minister, Anna Brychan, said ministers remained in “active discussions” with NAHT Cymru.

She said ALN was a “key priority” for her, and she recognised the “significant financial and operational pressures” facing schools and colleges.

“It is my hope that this additional funding, to be used in-year, will alleviate some of the more immediate financial and operational pressures facing schools, colleges, local authorities and support services,” she added.

There were angry scenes in the Senedd in July when the Plaid Cymru government brought its supplementary budget to a vote without a deal in place.

Plaid failed to get any opposition support for the package.

Finance Minister Elin Jones accused Labour of behaving as a “destructive opposition” at the time.

Tory Senedd leader Millar said the decision to vote on the budget anyway was “bonkers”.

The first minister later said his government had learned “lessons” from the episode, and promised to improve the way his government engaged with others.

It was not clear if the £60m offered in the deal is annual, and Brychan said allocation for future years would be part of the preparations for the draft budget for 2027-28.

Talks are ongoing with other parties for the Welsh government’s full annual spending plans, which will be voted on by the Senedd early next year.

Of the £60m, £56m will be split between schools and councils – 80% to schools and 20% to councils.

Another £1.5m will be spent on a long-term sustainability plan, and £2.5m for the further education sector.



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