Welsh Conservatives have confronted the Assembly Government over savings in public spending.
Speaking during First Minister’s question time, Leader of the Opposition Nick Bourne AM challenged the Minister for Business & Budget over a lack of forward planning in preparing for any savings in public spending.
Commenting on the exchange, Mr Bourne said:
“The Minister herself has acknowledged that Wales has to play a part in bringing the country’s deficit down.
“However, it would seem that she and her officials have failed to make meaningful contingency plans prior to the Government being formed.
“Given that the Deputy First Minister himself said prior to the election that the Assembly Government would need to make £3bn of savings, it is astounding that Business & Budget Minister failed to accept that making savings would become a realistic outcome.
“The Minister is absolutely wrong when she says that the Assembly Government had no expectation of in-year cuts and if the Minister and her colleagues failed to plan for a change of Government, then this was grossly irresponsible.
“The Minister continues to dodge difficult questions about savings that need to be made to ensure that Wales can recover from the disastrous economic legacy left by the previous UK Labour Government.”
