Welsh Conservatives respond to Communities First phase-out announcement

Responding to the announcement made today by Carl Sargeant AM – Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Children, that he is “minded to phase out Communities First” – Welsh Conservative Shadow Secretary for Communities, Mark Isherwood AM, said:

“It is gratifying to see the Welsh Government proposing a re-think on the Communities First programme – the reform of which Welsh Conservatives have long called for.

“With one in four people in Wales still living in poverty, it is clear the programme is not fit for purpose; has largely fallen short of its stated aims, and has been the target of concern for many of Labour’s own AMs.

“If the Welsh Government is serious about making up for its past failures then it should give serious thought to delivering locally-led regeneration schemes, which would strip away bureaucracy while delivering targeted and effective support, while saving tens of millions.”