:00:00. > :00:00.Welcome to Wales Today. Our top story:
:00:07. > :00:09.Your money and how it's spent next year.
:00:10. > :00:12.Health is the big winner in the budget, so which of
:00:13. > :00:26.Your council will see a reduction of 2% but it's the only major
:00:27. > :00:28.department to see a reduction in a budget that feels a lot less austere
:00:29. > :00:42.than previous settlements. The proposed ban
:00:43. > :00:45.on e-cigarettes is watered down. A compromise when it comes
:00:46. > :00:50.to vaping in public places. Walking to school
:00:51. > :01:04.and why we should be doing more to In the route they have planned out I
:01:05. > :01:09.am pretty sure there is a chemical factory down there and there are big
:01:10. > :01:14.lorries and big trucks. It's going to be hard to walk down.
:01:15. > :01:16.Could emissions from a proposed new waste processing plant linger
:01:17. > :01:21.And Swansea City's chairman has dropped a strong hint that manager
:01:22. > :01:33.Wherever you live, today was one of the most important for what
:01:34. > :01:38.The budget statement is the carve up of the cake, deciding who gets what,
:01:39. > :01:45.The big headline is that health wins an extra ?290 million.
:01:46. > :01:50.The Welsh Government now spends nearly half its budget on health.
:01:51. > :01:56.Your local council is staring down the barrel of a 2% cut.
:01:57. > :02:00.Tonight, what all this means as we head towards an election
:02:01. > :02:04.in May and what today's numbers mean for our everyday lives.
:02:05. > :02:07.The minister responsible is here live to explain her decisions
:02:08. > :02:21.in a moment, but first here's our political editor, Nick Servini.
:02:22. > :02:27.It's the season of goodwill but who is getting the goodies in the fifth
:02:28. > :02:31.and final budget of this Welsh Government before we go to the polls
:02:32. > :02:33.in the spring? This lunchtime semi-members got together to
:02:34. > :02:38.celebrate peace and harmony but there is precious little of that
:02:39. > :02:42.train the main parties here. Five years ago councils were being
:02:43. > :02:49.protected. This assembly term is ending with the main focus being
:02:50. > :02:52.given to the NHS. That is an extra ?270 million for health. It means
:02:53. > :02:57.that by next year funding for the NHS will have risen by 0.6% compared
:02:58. > :03:02.to 2010 in real terms. The Welsh Government also points to latest
:03:03. > :03:08.figures from the Treasury which puts spending per head on the NHS in
:03:09. > :03:10.Wales 1% higher than in England. The Conservative claim is this, after
:03:11. > :03:17.taking into account inflation funding of the NHS this year is
:03:18. > :03:22.nearly ?6.3 billion that's 93 million less than 2010. Because of
:03:23. > :03:28.the Welsh Government's decision not to protect health funding the tween
:03:29. > :03:32.2011 and 2013. You know that over the term of this assembly you have
:03:33. > :03:37.taken ?1 billion out of the NHS in Wales. Will you now not show some
:03:38. > :03:43.remorse that those decisions that have led to such astronomical
:03:44. > :03:48.waiting times in Wales? The figures I have quoted are his government's
:03:49. > :03:54.figures from the Treasury. The reality is, the figures the Treasury
:03:55. > :04:02.producer shall we spend more on health the head in Wales than in
:04:03. > :04:05.England Des. The group that won't be getting a Christmas present in this
:04:06. > :04:09.budget that councils. They are facing cuts of 2% although it should
:04:10. > :04:15.be said they were gearing up for cuts of 4% which is what they've had
:04:16. > :04:21.to go through this year. The big ticket items for local authorities,
:04:22. > :04:23.schools and social care budgets, have been largely protected so as
:04:24. > :04:29.we've seen in recent years the cuts are likely to fall in areas like
:04:30. > :04:34.leisure centres and libraries. It's not as bad as everyone thought it
:04:35. > :04:38.was going to be so councils who have been making plans for even bigger
:04:39. > :04:40.cuts will be able to scale back and invest more than they thought they
:04:41. > :04:45.would. But it's still very difficult. They have been cash
:04:46. > :04:50.increases in neighbour -- every major department. Economic
:04:51. > :04:55.development gets a boost of 6% and the communities department which
:04:56. > :04:58.deals with things like social housing is up 10%. Plaid Cymru
:04:59. > :05:01.claims the increase in health has come too late for the Welsh
:05:02. > :05:07.Government to reading trust on the NHS. It seems like a desperate
:05:08. > :05:12.attempt from the Labour government and the last throw of the dice
:05:13. > :05:15.before the election, putting some money into health finally after
:05:16. > :05:21.being pressured for quite some time by opposition parties and the public
:05:22. > :05:24.to do that. Well not exactly a Christmas giveaway today is spending
:05:25. > :05:28.plans will feel more generous than recent budgets and will certainly
:05:29. > :05:30.feel more generous compared with some of the cuts are seen in public
:05:31. > :05:32.services in England. So almost half of the
:05:33. > :05:34.Welsh Government's budget is spent on health, that's now set to
:05:35. > :05:37.increase from 46% to about 48%. But what will that mean
:05:38. > :05:53.in practice and how does that affect Today's announcement would seem a
:05:54. > :06:00.financial shot in the arm for health in Wales. The total health budget
:06:01. > :06:06.now around ?7 billion. But once you take inflation into account, NHS
:06:07. > :06:11.spending is still lower than it was in 2011. So while health bosses are
:06:12. > :06:15.grateful for today's increase they will be poring over the detail in
:06:16. > :06:19.the next few days to see how it all breaks down. I think it is our
:06:20. > :06:24.responsibility to make sure the patience to see a difference with
:06:25. > :06:28.that money. Much of it will go into just keeping pace with the inflation
:06:29. > :06:33.and the pressures in the NHS but we need to make a difference. I would
:06:34. > :06:36.hope we will see further investment in primary care, GPs and the teams
:06:37. > :06:40.around them, in our community teams so we can help care for the blood of
:06:41. > :06:49.hospital and reduce the need for people to come to hospital. There
:06:50. > :06:55.will be many for two and a half thousand more apprenticeships and an
:06:56. > :06:58.extra ?10 million will ensure that no Welsh student has to pay more for
:06:59. > :07:04.their degree than if they had been students in 2010. The body which
:07:05. > :07:12.funds universities sees its budget cut by around ?21 million. Further
:07:13. > :07:16.education is protected from cats but coming after the squeeze of recent
:07:17. > :07:21.years the sector is warning that the dream of Wales as a learning country
:07:22. > :07:27.is long since gone. If we are only going to spend money on the problems
:07:28. > :07:29.in health after the fact we will continue to spend more and more
:07:30. > :07:36.money on the NHS and have less money to spend on creating the kind of
:07:37. > :07:41.economy we want. The percentage spend on local government is down
:07:42. > :07:45.around 2%, it's less than councils had feared. The body representing
:07:46. > :07:52.them has said they welcome any settlement that's better than the 4%
:07:53. > :07:55.cuts they faced in 2015, 2016. The government says it has invested in
:07:56. > :07:59.the services that matter most people. To that end it has also
:08:00. > :08:03.promised that universal benefits including free breakfasts, free
:08:04. > :08:05.school milk, free swimming, free prescriptions and concessionary
:08:06. > :08:09.fares are all safeguarded next year. Our Political Editor, Nick Servini,
:08:10. > :08:20.is at the Senedd tonight. It was trailed in advance that extra
:08:21. > :08:25.money would go to the NHS and that was certainly the case. Labour do
:08:26. > :08:29.not want to leave themselves exposed as they head into the elections next
:08:30. > :08:32.year and this was always going to be an intensely political budget
:08:33. > :08:37.because it is the fifth and final budget carried out by this Welsh
:08:38. > :08:41.Government before we go into those elections. I am joined by the
:08:42. > :08:47.Finance Minister Jane Hutt. This is the sixth budget you have carried
:08:48. > :08:50.out. Bearing in mind it was just a 0.3% real term reduction on the
:08:51. > :08:55.previous year, was it the easiest one? It was a very important budget
:08:56. > :09:01.to make sure that we got that invest within health but not just in the
:09:02. > :09:05.health service. That ?300 million is going to make a huge difference. It
:09:06. > :09:13.will give us more nurses, more GP services, more paramedics, more
:09:14. > :09:18.diagnostic equipment. All of that is crucial for me as finance minister
:09:19. > :09:25.but also in the social services and protecting local services. Sticking
:09:26. > :09:30.with the NHS, it is now 48% of everything the Welsh Government
:09:31. > :09:37.spends here. It is a black hole isn't it? Will you see the
:09:38. > :09:47.improvement? I have already said how we will spend the money. What is
:09:48. > :09:51.important is that it is linked to other services. It is linked to
:09:52. > :09:55.social care. When you come out of hospital you might need a social
:09:56. > :09:59.care package. We in Wales are taking responsibility for funding social
:10:00. > :10:04.services, an extra 21 million going to local government. In England they
:10:05. > :10:08.are saying council taxpayers should pay the council -- sat -- social
:10:09. > :10:19.care. That is not the way we operate in Wales. We are investing in young
:10:20. > :10:24.people and apprentices. We are spending more in Wales on health and
:10:25. > :10:31.social care. Councils facing a 2% cut. You protected them in the early
:10:32. > :10:36.years of this administration. Third year on the bones they are facing
:10:37. > :10:39.cuts. What was wrong with that policy you pursued in the early
:10:40. > :10:43.years that you are not doing now? Nothing was wrong with it. We were
:10:44. > :10:48.coming out of the recession and we had jobs and growth budgets. We
:10:49. > :10:53.decided we were going to invest in all of those important areas and
:10:54. > :11:01.boost the economy and get people back into jobs. So now we are moving
:11:02. > :11:03.forward in a positive way. Jane Hutt, thank you very much. Out of
:11:04. > :11:06.the studio. Betsi Cadwaladr University Health
:11:07. > :11:11.Board has confirmed it won't introduce controversial changes to
:11:12. > :11:13.maternity services in North Wales. It had proposed to downgrade
:11:14. > :11:15.the maternity unit at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd in Bodelwyddan
:11:16. > :11:17.temporarily to a midwife-led unit But this morning, its members agreed
:11:18. > :11:27.to maintain the current service. We have created a different sort
:11:28. > :11:30.of role and that has come together with added availability
:11:31. > :11:35.of staff two thirds of the way So as we were thinking in May or
:11:36. > :11:42.June about what to do next, we were The neo-natal intensive care unit
:11:43. > :11:49.at Wales' largest hospital has stopped taking new admissions
:11:50. > :11:52.because of an infection. The ward at the University Hospital
:11:53. > :11:56.of Wales shut last week. Cardiff and Vale University Health
:11:57. > :12:00.Board says all babies are safe, and those who needed treatment are
:12:01. > :12:04.responding well. The unit closed in August due to
:12:05. > :12:09.the same infection. The mother of
:12:10. > :12:11.a seven-year-old boy who died after being hit by a car in Rhondda Cynon
:12:12. > :12:15.Taff says he's saved up to eight Fraser Bates and his father, Stuart,
:12:16. > :12:20.both died after the crash in A 22-year-old driver has been
:12:21. > :12:26.arrested and released The Health Minister, Mark Drakeford,
:12:27. > :12:32.has backed down on plans to ban the use e-cigarettes in all
:12:33. > :12:36.enclosed public places in Wales. Instead, the Welsh Government will
:12:37. > :12:40.bring forward changes to its Public Health Bill that would see
:12:41. > :12:43.their use prohibited in specific public places such as schools,
:12:44. > :12:48.restaurants and public transport. Our health correspondent,
:12:49. > :13:02.Owain Clarke, is here. Before tonight the Health Minister
:13:03. > :13:05.wanted to restrict the use of e-cigarettes in exactly the same way
:13:06. > :13:10.as the ban on smoking tobacco so you would not be able to smoke anywhere
:13:11. > :13:15.in doors but this afternoon he announced he was relaxing the
:13:16. > :13:22.proposed laws which might mean if and when it is up and did you would
:13:23. > :13:24.be able to smoke e-cigarettes in places where children were not
:13:25. > :13:29.around. The concern of the Welsh Government has been all along is
:13:30. > :13:33.that e-cigarettes might be making smoking look normal to children and
:13:34. > :13:39.might act as a gateway into proper smoking but the critics say that is
:13:40. > :13:47.not proven in any shape or form. So what transpired was a huge political
:13:48. > :13:50.row and tonight's promotes. I recognise my responsibility as a
:13:51. > :13:58.minister in the government without a majority to attempt to craft
:13:59. > :14:02.agreement. As Mark Draper just bowed to public pressure? He said
:14:03. > :14:10.personally he would be in favour of the original plan, the moderate
:14:11. > :14:12.sense of ban, but perhaps he was scuppered and he was afraid this
:14:13. > :14:17.political row might scupper his whole Public Health Wales Bill. But
:14:18. > :14:21.let's be clear, since this plan was originally announced it has not only
:14:22. > :14:25.divided opinion amongst politicians, it has divided opinion amongst the
:14:26. > :14:31.public and amongst health bodies as well. Here is what the cancer
:14:32. > :14:35.charity ten of us said tonight. There is a growing misconception
:14:36. > :14:38.that e-cigarettes are just as harmful as cigarettes and that is
:14:39. > :14:43.not the case. For many people they are a good way of quitting tobacco.
:14:44. > :14:47.Whilst we welcome the fact the Minister has looked at modifying the
:14:48. > :14:52.bill, there are still many questions it does raise. He has talked about
:14:53. > :14:56.public transport and schools but in terms of places serving food what
:14:57. > :15:02.does it mean for pubs for example? How will this climb-down if we can
:15:03. > :15:05.call it that be interpreted? Some will say it is an embarrassing
:15:06. > :15:08.climb-down, others say the Health Minister has at it responsibly and
:15:09. > :15:13.has listened to people. I was talking to a Welsh Government
:15:14. > :15:17.insider which suggested Mark Drakeford got what he wanted really
:15:18. > :15:20.in that e-cigarettes won't be we used in places which Oldham were
:15:21. > :15:25.around but some might question why wasn't that the original plan.
:15:26. > :15:28.Much more to come before 7.00pm: Will a curious weather phenomenon in
:15:29. > :15:32.this valley trap emissions from a proposed new Waste Processing Plant?
:15:33. > :15:38.Swansea City's chairman drops a strong hint that manager
:15:39. > :15:48.The journey to school needs to be better and safer for children.
:15:49. > :15:55.A report published by the Children's Commissioner for Wales and
:15:56. > :15:58.the cycling charity Sustrans Cymru says almost half of the children
:15:59. > :16:01.who responded to their survey said they would like help to make
:16:02. > :16:16.What better way to start the morning than with a walk to school in the
:16:17. > :16:19.fresh air? A yearly pupil in Britain fairly mixed this journey every day
:16:20. > :16:25.with their friends. It takes about 20 minutes but this time next year
:16:26. > :16:31.she could be facing around an hour walk to the new school in Baglan. In
:16:32. > :16:36.the route they have planned out I am pretty sure that is a chemical
:16:37. > :16:39.factory and there are big lorries and trucks coming down on a daily
:16:40. > :16:44.basis. It's going to be hard walking down. In the winter it's going to be
:16:45. > :16:50.dark in the morning and dark in the evening. To find out more about the
:16:51. > :16:54.route, Caitlin and her friends might have to take to get to the new
:16:55. > :17:00.school I decided to walk it myself. It took around 45 minutes. The
:17:01. > :17:03.majority of it is along busy roads. Cycle lanes are provided in parts.
:17:04. > :17:08.There are also a few busy crossing points and some sheltered walkways.
:17:09. > :17:11.If but other council says the route has been assessed as a safe walking
:17:12. > :17:15.route in accordance with Welsh Government guidelines but it is
:17:16. > :17:20.these kind of roots which under the spotlight in today's report. Barely
:17:21. > :17:23.a thousand schoolchildren took part in this survey which highlighted
:17:24. > :17:27.road traffic as the most common barrier to them walking or cycling
:17:28. > :17:31.to school. Some of the other issues included not in the path or
:17:32. > :17:37.psychopaths. For quality pavements or in some cases a complete lack of
:17:38. > :17:41.them. More than three quarters of the children serve eight also said
:17:42. > :17:45.they believed they should have a say in planning routes to schools.
:17:46. > :17:50.Children cannot pick up their car keys and jump in a car. If they want
:17:51. > :17:56.to travel independently they need to do that on their bikes or on foot.
:17:57. > :17:59.We need to make sure it is safe for them to do so. It's believed that by
:18:00. > :18:06.spending more time on designing safer school routes it will also
:18:07. > :18:10.ensure health benefits. We want some funds allocated and spending now
:18:11. > :18:16.will make a difference to our health further down the line. We can reduce
:18:17. > :18:22.the number of children growing up with diabetes and obesity. The Welsh
:18:23. > :18:28.Government says it is imposing 20 mph speed limits outside around 50
:18:29. > :18:30.schools and its called on local authorities to consult with children
:18:31. > :18:34.on these matters. It's hoped today's report is at least a step in the
:18:35. > :18:37.right direction when it comes to improving school routes.
:18:38. > :18:40.A national disability charity has warned it may have to close within
:18:41. > :18:43.four months after losing its core funding from the Welsh Government.
:18:44. > :18:45.Disability Wales says that from the first of April, it'll lose 68%
:18:46. > :18:48.of its income after an application for its ?400,000 grant was refused.
:18:49. > :18:51.The Welsh Government says it's working with
:18:52. > :18:58.the charity to manage the change and secure a sustainable future.
:18:59. > :19:02.Now to be faced with just four months to go until the end of the
:19:03. > :19:05.financial year and to have lost two thirds of our funding is extremely
:19:06. > :19:08.concerning obviously for the organisation, for all members and
:19:09. > :19:11.for the work that we do campaigning for the rights and equality
:19:12. > :19:28.Residents in a village near Caerphilly are concerned that
:19:29. > :19:30.emissions from a proposed new Waste Processing Plant could remain
:19:31. > :19:33.in the valley for days because of a rare weather phenomenon.
:19:34. > :19:34.Villagers from Cwmfelinfach believe 'temperature inversion'
:19:35. > :19:37.which sometimes leads to fog lingering in the valley could also
:19:38. > :19:50.And it's this particular feature that's concerning these Cwmfelinfach
:19:51. > :19:53.locals opposed to a planned new waste processing plant
:19:54. > :20:07.The emissions from the factory itself in certain atmospheric
:20:08. > :20:10.conditions will stay in the base of the valley so we want to stand up
:20:11. > :20:13.and oppose this application. They're concerned about this -
:20:14. > :20:15.'temperature inversion'. Where cold air is trapped
:20:16. > :20:18.at the bottom of the valley by warm air above,
:20:19. > :20:20.leading to clouds and fog remaining Locals are worried any emissions
:20:21. > :20:25.from The plant would be built here
:20:26. > :20:30.and would turn waste, which may The Newport company
:20:31. > :20:35.behind the plant, Hazrem Environmental Limited, says any
:20:36. > :20:38.emissions would be well within safe limits and that Caerphilly County
:20:39. > :20:41.Borough Council has carefully But a planning document shows
:20:42. > :20:47.the council hasn't felt it necessary to carry out an
:20:48. > :20:51.Environmental Impact Assessment. Allan Sharp has been a pharmacist
:20:52. > :20:56.in the valley for 30 years. He's concerned about the effects
:20:57. > :21:08.the plant may have. My great fear is that having spent
:21:09. > :21:13.the last 30 or 40 years at great expense to the council cleaning up
:21:14. > :21:17.the valley air through the clean air act, we are now taking a backward
:21:18. > :21:21.step and pumping it into the air and it has nowhere to go.
:21:22. > :21:24.Caerphilly Council says residents' views and objections will be
:21:25. > :21:26.considered here and the site would need a permit
:21:27. > :21:29.Councillors will make a decision on the plant tomorrow.
:21:30. > :21:31.Swansea City chairman Huw Jenkins has dropped
:21:32. > :21:35.a strong hint that manager Garry Monk is on his way out of the club.
:21:36. > :21:38.He was speaking after receiving an OBE at Windsor Castle.
:21:39. > :21:42.Jenkins said something needs to change at the club.
:21:43. > :21:44.Monk is under pressure after a run of just one win
:21:45. > :22:02.A break from the Swansea City speculation. The club's chairman
:22:03. > :22:08.refusing -- receiving his OBEs from the Duke of Cambridge. For services
:22:09. > :22:13.to football in Wales. Huw Jenkins said that something needs to change
:22:14. > :22:17.to get things back on a positive note as quickly as possible. He
:22:18. > :22:20.added that if things are not dealt with in -- and addressed early
:22:21. > :22:26.enough the Premier League is very and forgiving. The manner of the
:22:27. > :22:30.loss to Leicester on Saturday seems to be of concern. Adding to the fact
:22:31. > :22:36.it has been just one win in 11 league matches. Pressure is mounting
:22:37. > :22:40.and change seems to be minute. This is the clearest indication yet that
:22:41. > :22:46.the Swansea City board are ready to act. You wonder why in the light of
:22:47. > :22:50.the performance on Saturday against Leicester City why they have not
:22:51. > :22:54.acted already. It might be explained by the fact they are trying to find
:22:55. > :22:57.somebody to take charge for the game against Manchester City on Saturday
:22:58. > :23:01.ordered a beer that the have not decided whether Garry Monk should go
:23:02. > :23:06.or whether they should say to him some of his backroom team have to
:23:07. > :23:12.go. But clearly given Huw Jenkins' words today, change is imminent.
:23:13. > :23:15.Garry Monk did take training as usual today preparing for the next
:23:16. > :23:20.Premier League match in four days' time. But will he still be in charge
:23:21. > :23:22.for that trip to Manchester City? It remains to be seen.
:23:23. > :23:23.Wales' international football players, management and officials
:23:24. > :23:26.boycotted last night's Wales Sport Awards just hours before it began.
:23:27. > :23:29.It comes days after BBC Wales broadcast a story highlighting
:23:30. > :23:32.a dispute between the Football Association of Wales
:23:33. > :23:40.No one from the FAW was present to collect the Team of the Year
:23:41. > :23:54.Sue's got tonight's forecast and there's more rain on the way.
:23:55. > :24:01.Absolutely. After some heavy rain last night and blustery showers
:24:02. > :24:04.today still on flood warning in place in the lower Dee Valley. Two
:24:05. > :24:10.alerts nearby as well. Tomorrow might start try but there is further
:24:11. > :24:14.rain on the way later. I pressure to the south-west is bringing more
:24:15. > :24:18.settled conditions tonight. Clear for most with dry stellar -- spells
:24:19. > :24:23.on a few isolated showers. Brisk winds but feeling colder than recent
:24:24. > :24:29.nights. Tomorrow, a chilli and windy start with sunny spells and variable
:24:30. > :24:32.cloud and the odd shower possible. South-westerly winds picking up with
:24:33. > :24:40.the rain arriving from the Northwest again later. Highs of 10 Celsius in
:24:41. > :24:44.Powys and 12 in Denbighshire. I pressure being edged out by this
:24:45. > :24:48.cold front sweeping south eastwards across the UK late tomorrow into
:24:49. > :24:52.Thursday so tomorrow night turning wet and windy. The band of more
:24:53. > :25:00.persistent rain pushing in from the North West for the -- the cloud wind
:25:01. > :25:04.and rain holding up temperatures tomorrow night. A wet start on
:25:05. > :25:07.Thursday but winds easing. Improving as the cold front clears south
:25:08. > :25:14.eastwards and a few lingering showers turning Dreier and brighter
:25:15. > :25:18.but also chillier. That front might move southwards on Thursday but it
:25:19. > :25:21.doesn't clear completely. It is a weather front pushing northwards on
:25:22. > :25:27.Friday and possibly for the weekend. The forecast is a bit tricky. Friday
:25:28. > :25:31.is looking cold and breezy, more likely to be tried in the north away
:25:32. > :25:37.from that front but rain more likely to linger in the South on Friday.
:25:38. > :25:39.Sunshine and showers on Friday and unsettled for the weekend.
:25:40. > :25:42.Back to our top story tonight and the Welsh Government has
:25:43. > :25:48.unveiled its budget statement for the coming year.
:25:49. > :25:50.Let's talk to our Economics Correspondento Sarah Dickins.
:25:51. > :25:55.How's this going to pan out on the ground?
:25:56. > :26:02.When you look at the part of day-to-day government spending in
:26:03. > :26:07.Wales there will be less of it and that I think strings the size of the
:26:08. > :26:12.economy because there is less money being spent. That is going to have
:26:13. > :26:16.an impact. If you look at it, there is going to be ?25 million less
:26:17. > :26:22.being used by the economy department to try and help our economy and ?16
:26:23. > :26:27.million less by Natural Resources Wales which is meant to be looking
:26:28. > :26:31.after sustainability. That is less money in the day-to-day spending.
:26:32. > :26:41.You need to put this in the wider context of our economy. We have the
:26:42. > :26:45.lowest wages in the UK and we have the lowest increase in house prices.
:26:46. > :26:49.So it is not exactly sharpen tools to make our economy seem stronger.
:26:50. > :26:51.A last word with our Political Editor, Nick Servini.
:26:52. > :26:53.Let's look ahead to May's Assembly Election.
:26:54. > :26:58.This budget fires the starting pistol, doesn't it?
:26:59. > :27:05.It does. It will form the backdrop of so many arguments as we head into
:27:06. > :27:10.those elections. One of the last big set piece opportunities for Labour
:27:11. > :27:14.in particular to try and lands the boil which has been these consistent
:27:15. > :27:19.accusations from the opposition parties that it failed to protect
:27:20. > :27:26.the NHS particularly in the early years of the administration. If you
:27:27. > :27:33.look at what has happened to councils, a 2% cut, that won't feel
:27:34. > :27:36.easy for council leaders. But nevertheless they were gearing up
:27:37. > :27:41.for around double that. There has been a festive event going on here
:27:42. > :27:46.tonight. I would not describe it as a Christmas giveaway but this has
:27:47. > :27:47.been one of the easiest budgets the Welsh Government has had to deliver
:27:48. > :27:48.in recent years. You can find more detail
:27:49. > :27:51.and analysis from our correspondents on how the budget affects you,
:27:52. > :27:53.your family and your community. Just go to our website
:27:54. > :27:58.at bbc.co.uk/walesnews. I'll have an update for you here
:27:59. > :28:00.at 8.00pm and again after the
:28:01. > :28:02.BBC news at 10.00pm. From all of us on the programme,
:28:03. > :28:09.good evening.