Welsh Labour will today vote to secure millions in funding for children across Wales with Additional Learning Needs (ALN) after negotiating a deal that puts children and young people first.
In a win for young people with ALN, their families and schools, Welsh Labour have secured 50% more funding than was offered by the Plaid Cymru Government last month.
When Plaid Cymru first published their supplementary budget, there wasn’t an extra penny allocated to ALN. Plaid Cymru then offered £40 million in their first attempt at budget negotiations – an offer that members and teaching unions rejected as insufficient. Welsh Labour stood their ground and did not support the supplementary budget under those conditions.
Funding for ALN has been a red line for Welsh Labour when it comes to supporting Plaid Cymru’s second attempt at a Supplementary Budget. Whilst it is still not enough, Welsh Labour have prioritised striking a deal in order to get that money into schools as soon as possible.
This means that an extra £60 million will be making its way to the learners who need it the most in this financial year.
At least 40,000 children and young people in Wales’s schools have ALN and that number is growing year-on-year.
Welsh Labour leader Ken Skates said:
“The money Welsh Labour secured is a vital short-term cash injection for schools and is good news for learners who need that extra support. It represents an extra £1,500 for each child with Additional Learning Needs. Plaid Cymru must now ensure that money gets to schools and pupils as quickly as possible.
“There is still much more to do in terms of long-term funding, and we will continue to fight for more money for ALN and for young people ahead of next year’s Welsh Government Budget.”
