Senedd passes £354m Welsh spending package with £60m more for children with additional learning needs
The money also covers NHS waiting lists, childcare for two-year-olds, school repairs and free school meals for more secondary pupils.
Schools and councils in Wales will get an extra £60 million this year to support children with additional learning needs, after the Senedd approved the Welsh Government's supplementary budget on Tuesday 3 November.
Members voted 54 to 39 for the £354 million package. It is the second supplementary budget for 2026-27 and goes ahead after an earlier version was voted down on 14 July.
The Welsh Government, led by Plaid Cymru, agreed the extra additional learning needs money with Welsh Labour in October, and Labour's votes carried the budget through.
Where the money goes
The biggest share, £145 million, is for the NHS in Wales:
- £100 million to bring down waiting lists
- £25 million to start work on new surgical and diagnostic hubs
- £20 million for maintenance on NHS buildings
Of the £60 million for additional learning needs, £44.8 million goes straight to schools and £11.2 million to local councils, with the rest for further education and a longer-term plan. The money is for this financial year only, and funding for later years has not been settled.
Childcare gets £55 million, including more funded places for two-year-olds. There is £40 million for repairs to school buildings, £20 million for social housing and £5 million for community facilities.
A further £15 million will extend free school meals to more secondary school pupils.
The Welsh Government publishes its draft budget, setting out spending plans for the coming years, on Tuesday 17 November.
