Written question WQ94515

Decisions on the level of funding available to schools and to other services are made by each authority as part of their overall budget and council tax setting. This is in line with the Welsh Government’s policy that local authorities are best placed to judge local needs and circumstances and to fund schools accordingly. Despite significant budget pressures we have continued to prioritise public services, including schools, through protecting the indicative rise for the local government settlement. The 2024-25 settlement provides an additional 3.3% on top of the consolidated increase of 7.9% in 2023-24. Conwy’s 2024-25 final settlement is £203.5m. This represents an increase of 2.3% on 2023-24 on a like for like basis.

In addition, grant funding that goes to schools has been prioritised. For 2024-25 the amalgamation of pre-16 local authority education grants provides the same level of funding against similar grants provided to local authorities in 2023-24; this is also a 3.2% rise against the 2024-25 indicative budget for those same grants.

Welsh Government budgets for 2025-26 have yet to be set and the Draft Budget is scheduled for publication in December. The local government settlement will also be published in December.