Wales' finance minister, Elin Jones, has defended the new Plaid Cymru-led government's decision not to allocate £340 million directly to schools for children with additional learning needs (ALN), sparking a heated row in the Senedd. The money, which came to Wales as a consequential from the UK Government's decision to write off historical debts incurred by English councils for ALN services, will not be spent for at least two years, with recurrent funding possibly arriving only in 2028-29.
Cross-Party Criticism Over Delayed Investment
Former education minister Lynne Neagle told the chamber that schools are placing ALN on their risk registers and receiving warning notices from local authorities. "That money is vital not just to address the current pressures but also to move to that sustainable system," she said. "I can say to you that we cannot wait until 2028-29 before we see a good investment in ALN – that would not lead to a sustainable situation at all. That money is needed now."
Labour's finance spokesman Huw Thomas questioned why the funding was not being passed to councils, noting that every Welsh council and teaching union has called for it to go to schools. "How can the minister justify why Welsh councils, schools, and children should miss out? And where is this consequential funding going?" he asked.
Minister Defends Long-Term Approach
Elin Jones argued that the consequential was a one-off debt write-off for England, not new service money, and that similar debts did not exist in Wales because they were not allowed to. She admitted the row had brought "early focus on the pressures on ALN budgets in Wales" but said the government wanted a "longer-term plan" rather than a "quick-fix" investment. She noted that ALN expenditure had grown 2.5 times faster than overall educational spending over the past decade and was on a trajectory to reach £1 billion within a few years, though a recent Audit Wales report suggested it may have already exceeded that.
Political Opponents Reject Justification
Conservative finance spokesman Sam Rowland countered that schools in Wales are running tens of millions of pounds in deficit budgets, with ALN a significant proportion. "That is the very real debt that education and schools are in," he said. "I’m not sure what your officials are telling you if you think that that debt does not exist here in Wales. It definitely does."
The supplementary budget, the first chance for the new government to show its priorities, saw the £340 million placed in the general pot rather than ring-fenced for ALN. The finance minister warned that "the financial situation is challenging and the financial pressures within the budgets are significant, especially in the health service."
