J
ane Hutt, Minister for Business and Budget has issued a statement following her meeting with Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander.
She said: “It was a very constructive meeting and I was pleased that the Chief Secretary agreed that we should not receive a cut as a consequence of the reduction in the budget for the Olympics. This is a relatively small part of the total £187m cut – £1-£2m – but is good news for Wales.
“He also agreed to meet with Gerry Holtham straight after his Commission’s second report is published and again with me in July. This is a very positive outcome as we have consistently made the case that the underfunding of Wales as a result of Barnett must be addressed and the forthcoming Spending Review is the opportunity to do so. He recognised that there were clear differences between Wales and other parts of the UK.
“The Chief Secretary acknowledged that the decision on whether to defer cuts is a very difficult one as we seek to protect the economic recovery and it should not be rushed. He was ready to consider the flexibility we need to manage effectively the cuts we are being asked to make. He was also interested in the progress we are making with our Efficiency and Innovation programme and was keen to learn more about it.”
