£5m for flood risks

Ahead of a vote on the Welsh Government Final Budget 2016-17 in the National Assembly, the Finance and Government Business Minister has announced an additional £5m will be spent in the next financial year on flood risk management.

The additional funding comes from a UK Government budget consequential of £10.7m following a package of support measures on flooding announced by the Treasury earlier this year.  The Finance Minister also confirmed that all of the consequential will be earmarked for flood related work.

The £5m being allocated in 2016-17 will accelerate priority schemes within the Flood and Coastal Risk Management Programme.

This will allow for significant investment across Wales including schemes which build resilience and reduce risk to homes and businesses. It will include schemes and improvements in Conwy, Blaenau Gwent, Carmarthenshire, Gwynedd, Neath Port Talbot and Denbighshire.

This work is in addition to the new flood alleviation works at Tal-y-Bont and the A55 drainage improvement works and complements the ongoing support to local authorities hit by the December storms.

Finance Minister Jane Hutt said:

“Investing in both flood defence infrastructure and making our communities more resilient to flooding is a priority for this government.  The flooding events this winter highlight the importance of continuing to invest in flood risk management across Wales.

“We have already announced a number of measures to provide support for immediate repairs and maintenance works. The additional £5m I am announcing today for 2016-17 will accelerate priority schemes and will benefit homes and communities the length and breadth of the country.“

Natural Resources Minister Carl Sargeant said:

“Flood risk management is a priority and our track record speaks for itself, investing over £285 million over the life of this government. Our sustained investment in flood alleviation, awareness raising as well as forecast and warning systems is making communities more resilient to flooding.”

Welsh Government investment has already reduced flood and coastal erosion risk to over 12,000 properties to date, including over 10,700 homes.

The National Assembly will vote later today on the Welsh Government’s ‘Fairer, Better Wales – Investing in the future’ Final Budget for 2016-17.

At the heart of the spending plans for the next financial year is additional investment of over £300m in the Welsh NHS.  The Final Budget aims to protect the public services that matter most to the people of Wales.

Despite the Welsh Budget being cut by 8% in real terms over five years, and 4.5% real terms revenue cuts to come over the next four years – a wide range of services will be protected including health, social services, schools and Further Education for the financial year ahead.

Jane Hutt added:

“Our Final Budget for 2016-17 is about securing a Fairer, Better Wales.  It is about investing in our future.

“We have stuck to our principles and priorities. Through our prudent financial management, we have been able to protect the public services that matter most to the people of Wales.

“Despite repeated cuts to our Budget by the UK Government, we have offered a clear alternative to austerity, using all the levers and investment available to us.  We are proud of our record of delivering in the face of difficult financial pressures.

“We are continuing our record investment in health and are protecting a wide range of services including social services, school funding, apprenticeships and Further Education over the next financial year.  It is a Budget which continues to invest in our priorities for Wales and its future.”