Powys councillors want to see more money to fund the teaching of children with Additional Learning Needs (ALN) come into the county’s coffers.

At a Powys County Council meeting on Thursday, October 8, Labour councillors put forward a motion asking for the council to receive its share of £322 million in funding for children with Additional Learning Needs (ALN).

This is calculated to be £3.5 million for the next year.

The funding comes through a Barnett consequential payment to the Plaid Cymru Welsh Government from the Labour UK Government, as extra money is being given for Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) in England.

The issue caused political furore over the summer as Labour Senedd Members joined forces with Reform UK and the Conservatives to block the minority Plaid Cymru Welsh Government’s supplementary budget.

Labour Senedd Members had called for £100 million to be allocated to ALN rather than the £40 million that Plaid Cymru had offered.

The motion was brought before the council by Cllr Huw Williams (Abercraf and Ystradgynlais) and seconded by Cllr David Meredith (Brecon West).

Cllr Williams said: “In Powys almost 2000 children currently require ALN support with numbers increasing year on year.

“There is every indication these pressures will continue in the years ahead, every child deserves the support they need to succeed regardless of their circumstances.”

But a lone Plaid Cymru voice stood up for the Welsh Government.

Cllr Bryn Davies (Plaid Cymru – Banwy, Llanfihangel and Llanwddyn) said: “I express sympathy with Cllrs William and Meredith in bringing this motion before us.

“They have their strings pulled by their masters in London just as their colleagues on every other council in Wales.

“British Labour members in the Senedd had the chance to vote for £120 million over a period of three years directly for ALN in Wales.

“They could have abstained from voting to secure faster improvements but they chose to keep the poor people of Wales in their place.

“What is needed is an understanding of devolution and the version of it that the Labour Party itself designed.”

He explained that decisions on health, education, agriculture and a number of other areas had been devolved to the Welsh Government.

Cllr Davies continued: “It is not the role of London politicians to tell the Welsh Government how to spend money.

“Everyone knows the Barnett formula is unfair to Wales and Labour and Conservative parties have had 50 years to adapt it.

“How money is spent in England has nothing to do with how money is spent in Wales.”

He suggested Labour councillors who wanted to improve the situation should “demand improvements” to the Barnett formula and funding from the HS2 railway scheme. He also reminded councillors that the previous Labour Welsh Government had only allocated £9 million for ALN.

“This motion is complete hypocrisy,” said Cllr Davies.

Council leader Cllr Jake Berriman (Liberal Democrat – Llandrindod North) said: “I don’t want to step into the ring with the exchanges coming across the chamber.

“I do support the request for additional ALN funding.

“I do so entirely selfishly based on the needs of Powys council and the young people here, but I don’t want to get caught up in the Welsh budget discussions.”

Cllr Angela Davies (Liberal Democrat – Rhayader) said: “It’s really disappointing that this is being used as a political football, regardless of the party politics this is for the children of our county.”

The council went to a vote, with 49 councillors voting in favour of the motion, one against and two abstaining.