The Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government (Mark Drakeford AM) laid the Second Supplementary Budget 2016-17 on 7 February 2017. This was accompanied by an explanatory note and tables showing departmental allocations. This supplementary budget amends the First Supplementary Budget 2016-17 approved by the National Assembly in July 2016.
Over two thirds of the revenue allocations in this budget are additional funding to the NHS, including £75.9 million to address forecast overspends by Local Health Boards (£7.5 million of which is in addition to the £68.4 million announced in November 2016), £50 million to mitigate winter pressures, £27 million to fund a shortfall in income from the Pharmaceutical Price Regulation Scheme and £16 million to support the launch of the New Treatment Fund.
Also, £20 million has been allocated to the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales to address financial demands from the recommendations of the Diamond Review, £8.5 million to establish Transport Wales to design and let the rail and South Wales Metro franchises, and £4 million to Tata Steel for skills support.
The main capital allocations are £47 million to support trunk road projects (including £22 million for M4 Route Development), £33.4 million capital grants and loans to deliver economic development priorities and £30 million to support the Programme for Government commitment to build an additional 20,000 affordable homes.
These investments are funded by a mixture of allocations from reserves and funds carried over from the previous financial year, and also takes account of changes in funding from the UK Government.
Changes in overall budget allocations, and in allocation of fiscal revenue and capital expenditure between different Welsh Government departments between the previous Supplementary Budget and this one, are summarised in the accompanying chart.
Article by Gareth Thomas and David Millett, National Assembly for Wales Research Service
