THE Welsh Government budget settlement for the coming financial year has been announced, with Pembrokeshire’s allocation just above the Welsh average.

Julie James AS, minister for housing and local government announced the provisional Aggregate External Finance (AEF) for local authorities just before Christmas with core revenue funding of £4.651 billion across Wales.

Following adjustments for transfers, Pembrokeshire’s provisional AEF for 2021-22 of £179,387,000 is a four per cent rise, with the Wales-wide increase 3.8 per cent.

It is ranked seventh in Wales based on the amount the funding has increased, which is nearly £7million on last year’s settlement of £172,347,000.

Ceredigion sees the lowest percentage increase, at two per cent, with a 2021-22 provisional AEF of £109,658,000.

“My announcement outlines my intention to set local government core revenue funding for 2021-22 at £4.651 billion. This means, after adjusting for transfers, overall core funding for local government in 2021-22 will increase by 3.8 per cent on a like-for-like basis compared to the current year. While I know local government has been facing significant pressures, particularly arising from the COVID-19 pandemic, I hope that this increase, building as it does on a significantly improved settlement in 2020-21, enables you to continue to support and deliver critical and valued local services,” a letter to authorities from Julie James AS adds.

Pembrokeshire County Council’s cabinet will discuss the settlement at its first meeting of 2021 on January 11.