CEREDIGION MP Ben Lake has called on the Welsh Government to match proposals in today’s Budget that will provide 30 hours of free childcare for one and two-year-olds in England.

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt revealed the contents of his first budget this afternoon, which had a focus on getting people back into the workforce.

Among the measures announced was 30 hours of free childcare to parents in England, covering one and two-year-olds from 2024.

Household energy bills will also remain capped at £2,500 for an additional three months from April to June.

Responding to the Spring Budget, Plaid Cymru Treasury spokesperson and MP for Ceredigion, Ben Lake, said: “The extension of the Energy Price Guarantee to July will prevent a further increase to energy bills in April, but it is disappointing that the Chancellor failed to extend the Energy Bills Support Scheme or the Alternative Fuel Payments in today’s Budget.

“By opting for the status quo, the Chancellor has missed an opportunity to offer much needed support to off-grid households, and families that are already struggling with higher living costs.

“It is surprising that no commitment was made to ensuring fair pay increases for our public sector workers, and it is appalling that no mention was given in the Chancellor’s speech to improving digital connectivity.

“There needs to be significant and early investment digital connectivity and broadband infrastructure, transport links, renewable energy and research and development if we hope to realise Wales’ economic potential.

“The Chancellor’s silence on these issues today risks locking Wales into lower levels of development than wealthier areas of the UK.

“Plaid Cymru welcomes the belated funding for childcare in England, which must lead to full consequential funding to Wales.

“We are already on the front foot thanks to Plaid Cymru, with free childcare for two-year-olds extended through our Cooperation Agreement.

“The Labour government must now go faster and commit to using new funds to deliver Plaid Cymru's policy of universal childcare in full.”

Welsh Liberal Democrat leader and MS for Mid and West Wales, Jane Dodds, criticised the Budget, saying: “This Budget shows the Conservative Party is completely out of touch.

“They had a chance to show they care about the cost-of-living crisis that’s hitting thousands of Welsh families and pensioners but they failed miserably.

“This was an opportunity to cut energy bills and give households a real helping hand. They could have borrowed Liberal Democrat plans to cut bills by an average of £500.

“Likewise, there is nothing here to future-proof homes against future energy price rises. Wales and the UK has some of the least energy-efficient homes in Northern Europe. Without a real insulation programme families will remain vulnerable to price shocks.

“Beyond the energy crisis the UK Government has continued to deprive Wales of billons of pounds in HS2 funding it is owed, setting up our poor public transport systems for continued failure.”

On the expansion of childcare in England she added: “Labour and Plaid Cymru’s childcare plans in Wales are simply not ambitious enough to move the dial for families.

“Childcare costs are one of the most pressing issues facing families up and down Wales right now and it is holding our economy back by keeping parents out of the workforce because for many families it is more cost-effective for a parent to stay at home than return to work.

“The Welsh Liberal Democrats have called for and will continue to call for free part-time childcare from 9 months for all parents regardless of work status and the Welsh Government must use extra money it will receive today to at very least match England.”

Elsewhere, Craig Williams and Russell George, Welsh Conservative MP & MS for Montgomeryshire, have called upon the Welsh Government to match the UK Government’s support for swimming pools in England.

In today’s Budget announcement, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced £60m of funding will be provided for a Swimming Pool Support Fund, helping with immediate cost-pressures faced by the leisure industry. The fund will also provide investment into energy efficiency measures to reform facilities. The support is for England only, as sport and leisure facilities in Wales are devolved to the Welsh Government.

Today’s Budget also includes increased funding for the devolved administrations, with an extra £180m being provided to the Welsh Government over the next two years. Both Craig and Russell have therefore called upon the Welsh Government to match this support for leisure centres and swimming pools in Wales.

Commenting, Craig Williams MP said: “I am very pleased that the Chancellor and the UK Government have been proactive in giving urgent support to swimming pools within England, to help with the immediate cost-pressures the industry is currently facing.

“We all know the difficulties that leisure centres have faced over recent months with rising energy prices. The threat of possible closures would be seriously damaging to local communities, and it is therefore vital that leisure facilities are protected and supported.

“I have been in continual contact with leisure providers and Powys County Council regarding the difficulties leisure centres across Montgomeryshire are currently facing, and it is absolutely clear that they would benefit massively from similar support being provided in Wales. I therefore call for the Welsh Government to match the UK Government’s investment, using the £180m uplift that has been provided to them by the Chancellor.”

Russell George MS said: “The Welsh Government have no excuse now but to help councils keep much-valued leisure centres open for local people here in Mid Wales.

“Now that the UK Government has made this funding available in England, I have called on Welsh ministers to use the consequentials from the new money being spent in England to replicate this welcome support here in Wales.

“People were rightfully furious when just a few months ago, Powys County Council announced, with no consultation, that they would close facilities and swimming pools, including Llanidloes, Llanfyllin, and Llanfair Caereinion.

“The Welsh Government have the funding available to them – we now wait to see if it will make the same commitment to protect our local leisure centres and swimming pools.”

Cap on amount workers can accumulate in pensions savings over their lifetime before having to pay extra tax to be abolished

Tax-free yearly allowance for pension pot to rise from £40,000 to £60,000 - having been frozen for nine years

Fuel duty frozen - the 5p cut to fuel duty on petrol and diesel, due to end in April, kept for another year

Alcohol taxes to rise in line with inflation from August, with new reliefs for beer, cider and wine sold in pubs

Tax on tobacco to increase by 2% above inflation, and 6% above inflation for hand-rolling tobacco

Government subsidies capping household energy to £2,500 a year extended until June

£200m to bring energy charges for prepayment meters into line with prices for customers paying by direct debit - affects 4m households

Nuclear energy to be classed as environmentally sustainable for investment purposes, with promise of more public funding

30 hours of free childcare for working parents in England

Families on universal credit to receive childcare support up front instead of in arrears, with the £646-a-month per child cap raised to £951

Tougher requirements to look for work and increased job support for lead child carers on universal credit

Immigration rules to be relaxed for five roles in construction sector, to ease labour shortages

Main rate of corporation tax, paid by businesses on taxable profits over £250,000, confirmed to increase from 19% to 25%

Companies with profits between £50,000 and £250,000 to pay between 19% and 25%

Companies able to deduct investment in new machinery and technology to lower their taxable profits

Reduced paperwork for international traders, who will also be given longer to submit customs forms under streamlined rules