Saturday, May 26, 2012
Welsh Liberal Democrats continue to influence policy
We may have had a bit of a bashing in this month's local Council elections but the Welsh Liberal Democrats' influence on Government policy continues to show.
On Thursday the First Minister launched the pupil deprivation grant, a £32m boost for schools targeted at the most deprived pupils. That scheme would not have been in existence if the Welsh Liberal Democrats had not insisted on it as part of the budget deal we struck with the government. It has met universal approval from schools, teachers and parents.
Earlier in the week the Finance Minister announced details of how she will be spending a £42m windfall from the UK Government. Twenty million pounds of that money will be spent on Welsh Liberal Democrat priorities including a mortgage guarantee scheme for first time buyers in new build homes, £5m for home insulation schemes benefiting 1,000 homes, an additional £6m to expand the Welsh Housing Partnership, levering in a total investment of £30 million to deliver 280 family homes for immediate rent, an additional £5m to double the size of the recyclable empty homes fund, contributing to the target of bringing 5,000 empty homes back into use during this Assembly term and a Welsh Housing Bond. Four million pounds will be committed each year for thirty years to support a Bond issue of over £100m, which will finance delivery of more than 1,000 affordable homes over the next four years.
On Thursday the First Minister launched the pupil deprivation grant, a £32m boost for schools targeted at the most deprived pupils. That scheme would not have been in existence if the Welsh Liberal Democrats had not insisted on it as part of the budget deal we struck with the government. It has met universal approval from schools, teachers and parents.
Earlier in the week the Finance Minister announced details of how she will be spending a £42m windfall from the UK Government. Twenty million pounds of that money will be spent on Welsh Liberal Democrat priorities including a mortgage guarantee scheme for first time buyers in new build homes, £5m for home insulation schemes benefiting 1,000 homes, an additional £6m to expand the Welsh Housing Partnership, levering in a total investment of £30 million to deliver 280 family homes for immediate rent, an additional £5m to double the size of the recyclable empty homes fund, contributing to the target of bringing 5,000 empty homes back into use during this Assembly term and a Welsh Housing Bond. Four million pounds will be committed each year for thirty years to support a Bond issue of over £100m, which will finance delivery of more than 1,000 affordable homes over the next four years.
