AM Elin Jones has challenged the Welsh Government Finance Minister, Jane Hutt, to provide a fair funding deal for county councils in rural areas.

For several years, rural authorities such as Ceredigion and Powys have faced the largest cuts in Wales in percentage terms, and Labour-Lib Dem draft budget deal for 2016 again threatens to penalise rural areas.

Speaking in the National Assembly, Miss Jones called for the introduction of a Rural Stabilisation Grant to ensure that councils such as Ceredigion don’t lose out unfairly.

She said: “Ceredigion and other rural councils have faced year after year of larger cuts than councils in urban areas.

“We need to look at the funding formula, but in the short-term the Welsh Government must look at a Rural Stabilisation Grant to help councils who are having to make very difficult decisions on how to maintain services in the coming financial year."

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