09 November 2007
The Welsh Assembly government has been accused of hypocrisy after pledging a 'bonfire of inefficiency' under three-year spending plans.
The Welsh Conservatives said the Labour-led government had been 'synonymous with inefficiency, waste and red tape'.
Local government leaders warned that the proposed 2.2% rise for councils would lead to service cuts, job losses and council tax increases.
The draft budget, unveiled on November 5, promised £3.64bn of new investment to take spending to £16bn by 2010/11.
But this had to be matched by greater efficiency, said Andrew Davies, minister for finance and public service delivery. 'I want a bonfire of inefficiency that gets rid of duplication and red- tape and delivers real improvements for the people of Wales,' he said.
The budget calls for efficiency savings of 1.5% in 2008/09, 2.1% in 2009/10 and 2.3 % in 2010/11.
But Tory opposition leader Nick Bourne said this was 'the height of hypocrisy'. He added: 'With the amount of red tape Labour has produced in Wales, I fear Andrew Davies' bonfire will be burning long after November 5.'
The Welsh Local Government Association, meanwhile, hit out at the 'unacceptable' 2.2% increase for councils contained in the 'One Wales' budget. A WLGA statement said: 'The 2.2% rise for local government represents a cut in finances, it fails to adequately cover inflationary pressures and will lead to service cuts, job losses across councils and intense pressures on the council tax.'
The budget is the first since Labour and Plaid Cymru joined forces in government after the May Assembly elections.
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