Commenting on the capital investment package that has been announced today by the Welsh Government, Peter Black, Welsh Liberal Democrat Shadow Minister for Finance, said:
“I am pleased that we convinced the Welsh Labour Government to increase funding for the Health Technology Fund. The Welsh Liberal Democrats called for this fund to be created so that patients would have better access to innovative treatments. Patients will now have better cancer treatments and telemedicine available to them.
“The Welsh Liberal Democrats, alongside Plaid Cymru, also proposed the idea of the Intermediate Care Fund. This will go a long way in supporting independent living for those who need health, housing and social care. Our hospitals are struggling under pressure and this fund will alleviate some of that stress by keeping patients out of our A&E units and reduce unplanned admissions.
“I welcome further funding for ‘Help to Buy Cymru’, but it is essential that this scheme is up and running as soon as possible. Only last week the Housing Minister was unable to provide even a launch date for this scheme. That, frankly, is not good enough. This scheme already exists in England and I’m concerned that once again Welsh Labour Government inaction is allowing Wales’ housing market to be left behind. It is imperative the Minister announces a launch date as soon as possible.
“It is good to see money being put towards infrastructure projects. This will stimulate the economy while also improving services across Wales. However, in the past the Welsh Labour Government has made promises that it simply hasn’t kept. We can’t allow that to keep happening, so the Welsh Liberal Democrats will continue to put pressure on the Welsh Labour Government to ensure these projects actually become a reality.”
