Following the First Minister’s claim during First Minister's Questions on 7 July 2026 that the previous Government had overspent by hundreds of millions of pounds, will the Minister publish a list of overspends by BEL including the amounts of any overspends?
An analysis of spend against budget by previous administrations is published annually by the Welsh Government in the Report on Outturn. The report contains details of variances against budget, with explanations for material underspends and any overspends, as well as a BEL level variance analysis. The 2025-26 report will be published following audit completion and sign-off of the annual accounts which is planned for early December. A link to previous years Reports on Outturn, including the BEL analysis, can be found on the Welsh Government internet site (link below):
In considering the financial position inherited by the current administration, it is important to note the wider context of pressures across the public sector. The recently published 2025-26 NHS Wales Health Board accounts confirmed that six of the seven local health boards reported deficits totalling £200m.
For 2026-27, NHS bodies are reporting a net deficit of £333m – to reach this position they will need to make savings of £312m, only a portion of which they are currently confident of delivering. This deficit is contributing to the inherited financial position of the Welsh Government which included other pressures primarily within the Transport budget.