PLANNED sweeping cuts to higher education in Wales have been slashed from £41 million to £10 million under changes to the Welsh Government’s draft budget for the 2016-2017 financial year.

Monmouthshire County Council – which previously faced a cut in its government grant of £4.2 million – will also get a share of an extra £2.5 million under the plans announced by finance minister Jane Hutt today.

The minister announced a plan to move £21 million out of the higher education budget will not go ahead while an extra £5 million will be invested into part time education, along with another £5 million into research. This will mean the sector will see a cut of only £10 million instead of the £41 million it previously faced.

Under the previous draft budget Monmouthshire, Powys and Ceredigion faced the largest cuts in the whole of Wales, with some claiming the largely rural areas were being unfairly penalised while urban area’s grants were preserved.

Ms Hutt described the plans as “a budget which puts the needs of the people of Wales first and invests to meet their needs”.

“This is a budget which is putting extra money into local government in recognition of their pressures,” she said.

The draft budget will be formally signed off next month, and also includes an extra £260 million for the Welsh NHS along with a number of other cuts.

But Conservative AM for Monmouth Nick Ramsey said the extra cash for his constituency and the NHS amounted to “an admission of previous failures”.

“I am pleased the Welsh Government is admitting its folly over the past few years,” he said. “But it’s too little, too late.”

According to the Welsh Liberal Democrats only £109,000 of the £2.5 million is to go to Monmouthshire, with largest amount - £1.93 million – to go to Powys and the remaining £493,000 to Ceredigion.

Cabinet member for finance at Monmouthshire County Council Cllr Phil Murphy welcomed the extra funding, but still believed the area was being under-funded.

“We hoped and believed that Monmouthshire would merit an increased amount compared to that announced,” he said.

Labour AM for Newport East John Griffiths welcomed the announcement.

“We need to widen access to higher education, and this latest funding boost – including additional resources for those in part-time education – is a positive development,” he said.

“I am also pleased that Monmouthshire will be receiving additional funding, and hope to see my constituents in Caldicot, Rogiet, Magor and Undy benefit directly from this.”

Earlier today the minister had announced an extra £120 million was to be invested into transport, schools, green energy, housing, town centre regeneration and other projects.

It is estimated the Welsh Government’s overall budget will be 11 per cent lower by 2020 than ten years previously.

To view the draft budget visit gov.wales.