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| £146m axed from council budgets in Wales | |
| (7 months later) | |
| Councils in Wales have been told they will get £146m less in 2015-16 from the Welsh government. | Councils in Wales have been told they will get £146m less in 2015-16 from the Welsh government. |
| Public Services Minister Leighton Andrews said local authorities will get £4.12bn in their block grants - an overall cut of 3.4% on this year. | Public Services Minister Leighton Andrews said local authorities will get £4.12bn in their block grants - an overall cut of 3.4% on this year. |
| Ministers insist none of Wales' 22 councils will see an individual cut of more than 4.5%. | Ministers insist none of Wales' 22 councils will see an individual cut of more than 4.5%. |
| Mr Andrews said he accepted the settlement was "challenging" but was a result of reductions in UK funding. | Mr Andrews said he accepted the settlement was "challenging" but was a result of reductions in UK funding. |
| Funding for each local authorities is decided according to a formula, taking into account factors such as the number of school pupils, the age profile and size of the local population. | Funding for each local authorities is decided according to a formula, taking into account factors such as the number of school pupils, the age profile and size of the local population. |
| It means there have been relative winners and losers when it comes to all the cuts. | It means there have been relative winners and losers when it comes to all the cuts. |
| Ceredigion council sees the biggest cut of 4.5%, after statistics used to estimate poverty levels, such as the number of benefit claimants, improved. | Ceredigion council sees the biggest cut of 4.5%, after statistics used to estimate poverty levels, such as the number of benefit claimants, improved. |
| Neath Port Talbot has the smallest cut of 2.4%, helped by an increase in its number of primary and secondary school pupils. | Neath Port Talbot has the smallest cut of 2.4%, helped by an increase in its number of primary and secondary school pupils. |
| 'Protected' | 'Protected' |
| Mr Andrews said: "The settlement I am announcing today is challenging, but this is a consequence of the large scale budget reductions being imposed by the UK Government. | Mr Andrews said: "The settlement I am announcing today is challenging, but this is a consequence of the large scale budget reductions being imposed by the UK Government. |
| "The Welsh government's budget for 2015-16 will be around 10% lower in real terms compared with 2010-11. | "The Welsh government's budget for 2015-16 will be around 10% lower in real terms compared with 2010-11. |
| "However, unlike England, we have protected local authorities in Wales from the bulk of these cuts over the past five years." | "However, unlike England, we have protected local authorities in Wales from the bulk of these cuts over the past five years." |
| This is the provisional local government settlement. | This is the provisional local government settlement. |
| There will now be a six week consultation, with Mr Andrews due to announce the final figures in December. | There will now be a six week consultation, with Mr Andrews due to announce the final figures in December. |
| However, there are usually only small changes between the provisional and final settlement. | However, there are usually only small changes between the provisional and final settlement. |
| 'Cruel' | 'Cruel' |
| Conservative shadow local government minister Janet Finch-Saunders described Mr Andrews' announcement as a "tough Labour settlement", arguing Labour ministers should have frozen council taxes, a policy followed in England and Scotland. | Conservative shadow local government minister Janet Finch-Saunders described Mr Andrews' announcement as a "tough Labour settlement", arguing Labour ministers should have frozen council taxes, a policy followed in England and Scotland. |
| "This would have eased the pressure on hardworking families and facilitated the prevention of huge hikes in bills," she added. | "This would have eased the pressure on hardworking families and facilitated the prevention of huge hikes in bills," she added. |
| Plaid Cymru finance spokesman Alun Ffred Jones said: "The local government settlement is a brutal blow for our front line services, and it will be felt in every home and every community. | Plaid Cymru finance spokesman Alun Ffred Jones said: "The local government settlement is a brutal blow for our front line services, and it will be felt in every home and every community. |
| "These cuts are driven by the UK government's cruel austerity agenda, and are being delivered by the Labour government in Cardiff Bay." | "These cuts are driven by the UK government's cruel austerity agenda, and are being delivered by the Labour government in Cardiff Bay." |