Welsh Conservatives say they have learnt that £2million announced earlier this week by the Welsh Government for flood-hit areas, is not new money and had already been earmarked for flooding.
The Shadow Minister for the Environment today called on the Welsh Government to make new money available to address flood damage and help prevent future flooding.
Labour’s Natural Resources Minister said:
“the two million pounds that I announced in my written statement this week comes out of existing budgets and will be spent in this financial year.”
Welsh Conservatives had consistently called for additional money to be made available for flood repairs and accused Labour Ministers of dithering.
Russell George AM, Welsh Conservative Shadow Minister for Environment, said:
“This was a smoke and mirrors announcement. Despite some of the worst flooding Wales has experienced in a generation, not a penny more is being spent by Labour Ministers on flooding and flood prevention.
“In the face of severe flooding, Labour Ministers dithered and were embarrassed into eventually announcing aid, cynically timed to defuse opposition criticism ahead of a Welsh Conservative flooding debate.
“The £2million announced by Labour is not new money and has been moved from one part of the flooding budget to another.
“We need answers from the Labour Government about whether the flood prevention budget has been raided to find £2million for flood-hit areas, which could make it more difficult to prevent flood damage in the future.”
