Welsh Government to unveil £27bn Draft Budget on Tuesday
The Welsh Government will publish its Draft Budget for 2026–27 on Tuesday, setting out how more than £27 billion will be spent on public services across Wales.
This first stage of the budget, known as Stage 1, gives an overview of how funding will be shared between government departments.
These are grouped under what are called Main Expenditure Groups (MEGs) – the main spending areas such as Health and Social Care, Education, Transport, and Climate Change.
A second stage of the Draft Budget will be published on 3 November 2025. That document will include more detail, known as Budget Expenditure Lines (BELs), showing how money will be spent within each department.
The Senedd (Welsh Parliament) is due to vote on the Final Budget in January 2026, after the local government funding settlement and final spending details are published later that month.
The Welsh Government says that MEGs cover large areas of spending, including both resource costs such as everyday running costs, and capital investments, which fund long-term projects like roads and hospitals. BELs, on the other hand, provide a detailed breakdown of how each pound is spent within those areas.
The Draft Budget for 2026–27 will be published in stages. The first stage, setting out high-level allocations, will be released on 14 October 2025.
A more detailed version, showing BEL-level spending plans, will follow on 3 November.
The UK Autumn Budget will be announced on 26 November, with the draft local government settlement expected later that month.
The Final Budget and local government settlement will be published on 20 January 2026, ahead of the Senedd debate and vote on 27 January, which will also include votes on tax motions and local government funding.
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