Janet Finch-Saunders, Member of the Welsh Parliament for Aberconwy, has spoken out against the complete failure of the Welsh Government to scrutinise the UK Government claim that there is a £21.9 billion black hole in the public finances.
In a Freedom of Information Request response, the Welsh Government disclosed to Mrs Finch-Saunders that:
“Our engagement with the UK Government in relation to the £20 billion ‘black hole’ has been limited to discussions at Ministerial meetings where the ‘black hole’ has been referenced during discussion on the economic and fiscal outlook for the UK. No further details have been provided, other than what is published on the UK Government website”.
Commenting on the state of the finances, Janet said:
“As Paul Johnson, Director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies wrote, the Chancellor cannot honestly announce a series of tax rises in her October budget, blame them on this hole that she has just discovered, and claim that she couldn’t have known pre-election that tax rises would be needed to maintain public services.
“A large part of the so called hole has been created through the additional £9 billion or so that the Chancellor herself has now allocated to public sector pay.
“The First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Finance ought to have been scrutinising the statement that tens of billions have to be found, especially as the claim seems set to be a major part of the context for the budget announced today, which will impact the future of Wales for years to come”.
ENDS
Mae Janet Finch-Saunders, yr Aelod o’r Senedd dros Aberconwy, wedi siarad yn groch am fethiant llwyr Llywodraeth Cymru i graffu ar honiad Llywodraeth y DU bod twll du o £21.9 biliwn yn y cyllid cyhoeddus.
Mewn ymateb Cais Rhyddid Gwybodaeth, datgelodd Llywodraeth Cymru wrth Mrs Finch-Saunders:
"Mae ein hymgysylltiad â Llywodraeth y DU mewn perthynas â'r 'twll du' gwerth £20 biliwn wedi'i gyfyngu i drafodaethau mewn cyfarfodydd Gweinidogol lle cyfeiriwyd at y 'twll du' yn ystod trafodaeth ar ragolygon economaidd a chyllidol y DU. Does dim manylion pellach wedi’u darparu, ac eithrio’r hyn a gyhoeddir ar wefan Llywodraeth y DU".
Wrth sôn am y sefyllfa gyllid, dywedodd Janet:
“Fel yr ysgrifennodd Paul Johnson, Cyfarwyddwr y Sefydliad Astudiaethau Cyllidol, ni all y Canghellor gyhoeddi cyfres o godiadau treth yn ei chyllideb ym mis Hydref yn onest, eu beio ar y twll hwn y mae hi newydd ei ddarganfod, a honni na allai fod wedi gwybod cyn yr etholiad y byddai angen codiadau treth i gynnal gwasanaethau cyhoeddus.
"Mae rhan fawr o'r twll bondigrybwyll wedi'i greu gan y tua £9 biliwn ychwanegol y mae'r Canghellor ei hun bellach wedi'i ddyrannu i gyflogau’r sector cyhoeddus.
"Dylai Prif Weinidog Cymru ac Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Gyllid fod wedi craffu ar y datganiad bod yn rhaid dod o hyd i ddegau o biliynau o bunnoedd, yn enwedig gan fod yr honiad hwn fel pe bai’n rhan fawr o gyd-destun y gyllideb a gyhoeddwyd heddiw, a fydd yn effeithio ar ddyfodol Cymru am flynyddoedd i ddod".
DIWEDD
