Rosemary Butler, the AM for Newport West, says that the Welsh Assembly's latest local government revenue settlement will still help Newport, despite the fact that the overall increase for Wales is less than local authorities have been used to in recent years.

"Newport will receive £184.3m  - that's £1,315 per head of population," she said." The average for Wales as a whole is £1,284 so we're doing as well as we could hope for under the present  circumstances."

She welcomed the additional £9.5m announced today by local government minister Brian Gibbons for capital expenditure in Newport which would lead to further improvements to schools, roads and other local services.

There will also be specific grants for foundation phase education, waste management and free bus travel, along with  £1.5m through the Performance Incentive Grant. And there will be a further £0.7 million to support the delivery of services in the more deprived areas of Newport.

"Some people will try to paint a bleak picture of this year's settlement," she said. "But it's a fair and realistic one and we have to remember that Assembly Government support,  along with good housekeeping by the City Council , means that Newport has had one of the lowest council tax rates in Wales and in the UK over the last few years

Wednesday, November 14