Welsh Government Unveils £26bn Budget with Major NHS Funding Boost

The draft budget allocates £1.5bn in additional public spending, including £600m for health and social care, to address record NHS waiting times and support public services.

• The Welsh Government's proposed £26bn budget for 2025-26 includes £1.5bn in additional funding for public services, with £600m earmarked for health and social care to tackle record-high NHS waiting lists.
• The budget increases spending across all departments, with health receiving the largest share, including £437m for day-to-day NHS operations and £175m for infrastructure and equipment upgrades.
• Other key allocations include £280m for housing and local government, £84m for education, and £70m for transport, with a focus on improving public infrastructure and services.
• The Labour-led government needs support from at least one opposition party in the Senedd to pass the budget, with negotiations ongoing, particularly with the Welsh Liberal Democrats.
• Critics, including Plaid Cymru and the Welsh Conservatives, argue the budget lacks ambition and fails to adequately address long-term challenges in social care and local government funding.

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