Budgets

How does the budget process work?

Each year, the Welsh Government develops plans on how to spend its budget. A Draft Budget setting out the Government’s plans is laid before the National Assembly for Wales in the autumn, scrutinised by Committees and debated in Plenary. The plans are subsequently refined to take account of any technical changes or scrutiny responses and presented in a Final Budget, which is debated in Plenary prior to approval by the National Assembly for Wales.

If adjustments are needed during the financial year we use a Supplementary Budget, which follows a similar format and involves a scrutiny period.

The procedure for setting the Welsh budget is set out in Standing Orders, which are the rules that govern the running of the National Assembly for Wales.

What areas does the budget cover?

The Welsh Government’s budget funds some of our most vital public services, including hospitals, universities and colleges, roads, fire and ambulance services, and the large number of services, such as schools and social services, that are provided by councils.

The Welsh budget is organised by Main Expenditure Groups (MEGs), which broadly mirror Ministerial responsibilities.  MEGs are further broken into Spending Programme Areas and Actions. Each level of the budget provides greater detail about the use of resources.

The MEGs are:

• Health, Social Services and Children 
• Local Government and Communities
• Business, Enterprise, Technology and Science
• Education and Skills
• Environment and Sustainable Development
• Housing, Regeneration and Heritage, and
• Central Services and Administration.

Contact details

For further information contact: wag-en@mailuk.custhelp.com