AM Welcomes Data

CARL SARGEANT AM WELCOMES DATA SHOWING £4.4BN SPEND ON CHILDREN IN WALES
Carl Sargeant, AM for Alyn and Deeside, is welcoming new statistics which show that in 2006-07 the Welsh Assembly Government allocated an estimated £4.4 billion of its budget to children in Wales, equating to 28 per cent of its total expenditure. This is the first time comprehensive statistics of this kind have been released in the United Kingdom and are a key requirement of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). The data will help inform and develop government policy in the future.The statistics show that expenditure per child rose from £5,600 in 2005-06 to £5,900 in 2006-07. This is projected to rise to £7,100 by 2010-11 with the proportion of the Assembly Government’s budget being allocated to children projected to remain around 28 per cent.Mr Sargeant said: “The Welsh Assembly Government is committed to eradicating child poverty in Wales by 2020, and we are investing significantly in Wales’ children in order to achieve this. “The statistics show that we are working to give all children in Wales the best possible start in life, and that we recognise that this must be done by putting the needs of children at the heart of policy making and delivery right across the government portfolios, from health to transport.”