Welsh Conservatives say agreement means higher taxes, while Labour defends spending priorities

THE LEADER of the Welsh Conservatives has used First Minister’s Questions to criticise the latest budget agreement between Welsh Labour and Plaid Cymru, arguing it underlines what he described as an ongoing political alignment between the two parties.

At the Senedd on Tuesday, Darren Millar MS challenged the First Minister to explain why successive budgets supported by Plaid Cymru have, in his view, resulted in higher taxes and what he characterised as wasteful public spending.

Mr Millar said Plaid Cymru’s decision to back Labour’s budget proposals served as a warning to voters ahead of the Senedd elections expected next May.

He told the chamber that the Welsh Conservatives would instead pursue tax cuts, funded by reducing spending on what he described as non-essential projects. These included overseas offices, international environmental schemes and what he called a “bloated” Welsh Civil Service.

Commenting after FMQs, the Leader of the Welsh Conservatives, Darren Millar MS said: “The Welsh Labour Government’s budget, backed again by Plaid, will mean higher taxes to pay for more wasteful projects.

“Plaid and Labour’s stitch-up serves as a reminder that a vote for Plaid is just a vote for Labour and more of the same failures.

“In May, Wales will face a choice: more of the same with Plaid and Labour or real change, a strong team and a credible Welsh Conservative plan to fix Wales.”

Labour ministers have previously defended cooperation agreements with Plaid Cymru, saying they provide stability and allow the Welsh Government to pass budgets that fund public services such as health, education and local government. Plaid Cymru has also argued that its support has secured additional investment in areas including social care, housing and the Welsh language.

The Welsh Government has maintained that spending decisions reflect long-term priorities for Wales and that budget pressures are exacerbated by inflation and wider UK economic conditions.

WALES’ unwanted title as the nation with the highest “in-country” imprisonment rate in western Europe is set to be solidified due to the expansion of HMP Parc.

The warning came as the expansion, which was approved despite the prison reaching a record 17 deaths in 2024, is projected to push the rate to 178 per 100,000 population.

Analysis by Wales Governance Centre warned the projected rate will surpass the average for the whole of Europe (177 per 100,000) and that of anywhere else in western Europe.

The “in-country” rate refers to people held in Welsh prisons, including those from England, with 167 per 100,000 currently compared with 139 per 100,000 across the border.

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) decision to add 345 places at HMP Parc will increase the prison place surplus in Wales from 393 to an estimated 738 places, fuelling concerns about the country being used to “absorb prisoner overflows from England”.

Appearing before the Senedd’s equality committee on Monday December 15, Rob Jones, a lecturer at Cardiff University, questioned the logic of expanding the Bridgend prison.

He said: “I don’t quite understand why that decision was taken to expand that prison at that particular time – one, given the safety problems that have been widely reported on and, secondly, Wales already has the highest ‘in-country’ imprisonment rate in western Europe.”

Pressed about the reasons for the “enormously high” rate, Dr Jones pointed to the impact of poverty in Wales. He raised the example of Finland which has a rate of 51 per 100,000.

The “ill-judged” plans to extend HMP Parc were approved by Bridgend Council in November and Dr Jones urged Welsh ministers to ask the UK Government to think again.

He said: “I don’t see any reason why Parc should be expanded when there are still no answers about Wales’ imprisonment rate… I think there needs to be a very serious conversation about tackling overimprisonment in Wales, not just overcrowding.”

Since HMP Berwyn in Wrexham opened in 2017, the average number of prisoners held in Wales has increased by 34%, according to a Wales Governance Centre briefing.

The report found the number of prisoners held in England would need to increase by more than 21,000 to equal the rate in Wales following the proposed expansion.

Dr Jones told the committee: “If the Welsh Government is serious about its… commitment to reduce the number of people in prison in Wales – now is the time to show it.”

His latest factfile on imprisonment showed a record number of deaths (21) across the Welsh prison estate in 2024. Of the 17 at HMP Parc, eight were attributed to natural causes.

He said: “I think the natural cause deaths are the elephant in the room actually when we think about deaths in prison. [That’s] not to say those others that we saw, particularly at Parc last year with regards to substances, are not, of course, to be taken seriously.”

Dr Jones expressed concerns about the standards of health care in prisons, which is devolved to Wales, with the average life expectancy of prisoners “significantly lower”.

Asked about housing, Dr Jones said the “jagged edge” of Wales’ justice system is “alive and well” when it comes to homelessness and prisoner release. He warned councils, housing services and probation cannot deal with the “churn” created by short-term sentences.

Labour’s Mick Antoniw asked about people from black or minority ethnic backgrounds being disadvantaged “in just about every respect of the criminal justice system”.

Dr Jones replied: “I don’t think I’ve seen any real improvement nor change,” warning of “zero” investment in research on criminal justice in Wales.

He pointed to evidence of two-tier sentencing and cautioned Wales is “completely lost” in the context of an England-and-Wales justice system. He raised the danger of recommendations – such as those from the Lammy review and Thomas commission – sitting on a shelf.

Jane Dodds, the Liberal Democrats’ leader in Wales, asked about a high and growing proportion of Welsh prisoners held on remand before their trial or sentencing.

Dr Jones warned of a lack of understanding to explain a 10% increase in prisoners on remand in 2024 (804) after reaching record levels in 2023 (730).

He raised the example of Welsh ministers’ women’s justice blueprint, with half of magistrates saying they had never heard of the plan which promotes alternatives to remand.

On a lack of “vital” information about parental imprisonment, the lecturer said he was led on a “merry dance” before his FoI for Welsh data was rejected on cost grounds.

Asked about short-term sentences for women, Dr Jones said: “There never really seems to be any determined effort to get to the bottom of problems.”

A PLEA to not “pluck the heart out of a community” by closing a Pembrokeshire village school was heard by councillors just days after a consultation into its future was launched.

At the December meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council, members received a petition opposing the potential closure of Ysgol Clydau, Tegryn, which had generated 648 responses on the council’s own website, meaning it crossed the threshold to be heard at full council.

A council statement accompanying the launch of the consultation said: “At its meeting on May 8, Pembrokeshire County Council considered a report of the School Modernisation Working Group which outlined the findings of a review of education provision in the Preseli area.

“In particular the review considered the extent of surplus school places in the area, set against a significant decline in the pupil population.”

The Ysgol Clydau petition states: “We demand that Pembrokeshire County Council reconsider its decision to close Ysgol Clydau and instead prioritise the needs of our community by keeping the school open. We oppose the closure of Ysgol Clydau and call for full public scrutiny before any decision is made.

“We urge you to engage in a meaningful dialogue with the community, listen to our concerns, and work with us to find alternative solutions that support the needs of our children and families.”

Sarah Farnden

Speaking at the meeting on behalf of the petitioners, Sarah Farnden, in an emotive plea, said the school was “not just a school but a sanctuary, a nurturing environment,” which offered “warmth, belonging and safety”.

“A village without a school becomes a village without families, a village without families becomes a village without a future,” she told members, adding: “Ysgol Clydau is not in debt, it’s not overspent, we’ve done everything asked of us, so why are we being punished?

“There has been a school on this site for 145 years, if you close Ysgol Clydau you are not closing a building you are closing a heritage; we are not here to fight you, we are here to beg you.”

Cllr Iwan Ward

Local member Cllr Iwan Ward said: “The decision of Pembrokeshire County Council to release this consultation on the closure a few days before Christmas is extremely disappointing, a time of year families should be concentrating on being together, not a time to have to face the threat of losing the heart of our community.”

To applause from the gallery, he added: “It’s not a matter of numbers on a paper, it’s a moral matter; the school is much more than four walls, it’s a safe place for children to grow and a cornerstone of community spirit.

“Closing a school like this rips the heart out of rural life, to threaten a school that isn’t failing is an action I cannot, and am not willing to, take quietly.

“I will stand with the staff, the governors, and the children also.”

Members heard the consultation had been expected to launch back in September but had been delayed due to staffing issues; its 42-day period due to now end in late January.

Members agreed to note the petition ahead of the consultation end, recommendations on the school’s future expected to be decided in March.

The final word went to Sarah Farnden, who said: “We’re not asking for special treatment, we’re asking for fairness and compassion; do not pluck the heart out of the community.”