Schools and councils will get an extra £60 million for additional learning needs (ALN) after the Welsh Government's supplementary budget was backed by the Senedd.

The Plaid Cymru minority administration was dealt a blow when its first supplementary budget failed to win the approval of Senedd Members back in July.

Welsh Labour rejected the original plans - demanding more ALN funding - but has since backed the revised plans.

A supplementary budget allows in-year adjustments and new spending allocations to the Welsh Government's previously agreed budget.

The new budget, unveiled by finance minister Elin Jones, allocates £354 million of further funding - including £60 million of revenue funding for additional learning needs.

Ms Jones said £56 million of the extra funding will be provided to local authorities with the "vast majority" going directly to schools and education settings.

The finance minister acknowledged the "meaningful support" the funding will provide this year, but stressed it "is not and cannot be the complete answer".

She said her government will remain committed to working with local authorities, schools, trade unions and others to support learners and ensure the system is sustainable for the future.

Ms Jones added: "This supplementary budget is about delivering on our commitments, strengthening public services and ensuring resources are directed to the areas where they are needed most."

"Not a penny"

Welsh Labour's finance spokesperson, Huw Thomas, said "not a penny of additional funding" had been earmarked for ALN before his party's intervention.

Mr Thomas told members Welsh Labour had "successfully pressed" the Plaid Cymru government to recognise "the scale and the urgency of the challenge that this additional funding is now made available for".

He said the Welsh Government must now ensure the money reaches schools and local authorities "as quickly as possible", stressing that schools cannot afford "lengthy delays or bureaucratic obstacles".

Describing the additional money for ALN as "a down payment on further support to our schools", Mr Thomas said the £60m is an "important step forward" but it does not resolve all pressures facing schools and councils.

"Business as usual"

Support for the budget was not universal, however, with both Reform and the Welsh Conservatives criticising the proposals.

Reform's shadow finance minister, Cai Parry Jones, said the only revision Plaid had made was the increase in ALN funding.

Much of Mr Parry Jones' criticism of the proposals was aimed at the budget for international development and the "utter waste-of-money projects" it includes.

He said the loss of money from the unallocated funding pot was a loss of money for dealing with "upcoming financial pressures of our NHS", and suggested funding for international development should have been cut instead.

Welsh Conservative MS Peter Fox voiced similar concerns, suggesting the budget is "business as usual wrapped in different colours".

He said: "The question is whether this budget demonstrates a genuine break from that record, or whether Plaid has simply become the latest custodian of Labour's failure."

"It certainly seems to be the season for weak budgets that do not deliver, and, today, as we've just heard - after 27 years of seeing Labour propped up by Plaid, we've just heard it - that Plaid will be propped up by Labour for the rest of this term."

Confirming the Tories would vote against the supplementary budget, Mr Fox said there was a "great deal more work to do".

The second supplementary budget was agreed by the Senedd with 54 votes to 39.