Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ

Readers of today's Western Mail could be forgiven for assuming that Wales has been singled out for public spending cuts.

Headlines such as and Wales to suffer the brunt of cuts as London reveals where the axe will fall may have given the impression that the nation is being targeted by the new coalition government at Westminster.

But is it true? The Treasury's own figures suggest cuts in the Welsh Assembly Government's budget are less than many Whitehall departments.

This is the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ analysis of the Treasury figures.

Chancellor's Departments**: 9.8% (budget Β£4.6bn)
Communities and Local Government 7.2% (budget Β£10.8bn)
Department for Work and Pensions: 5.6% (budget Β£9.6bn)
Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs: 4.9% (budget Β£3.3bn)
Transport: 4.6% (budget Β£14.7bn)
Business, Innovation and Skills: 3.8% (budget Β£22bn)
Department for Culture, Media and Sport: 3.8% (budget Β£2.3bn)
Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Office: 3.5% (budget Β£10.6bn)
Ministry of Justice: 3.2% (budget Β£10.1bn)
Cabinet Office: 2.8% (budget Β£2.8bn)
Law Officers' Department: 2.6% (budget Β£0.7bn)
Department for Energy and Climate Change: 2.6% (budget Β£3.2bn)
Foreign and Commonwealth Office: 2.3% (budget Β£2.4bn)
CLG Local Government 1.5% (budget Β£26.4bn)
Devolved Administrations: 1.2% (budget Β£56.2bn: Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland Executive, Northern Ireland Office)
Education 1.1% (budget Β£58.2bn)

The FT has its own version

The Assembly Government controls around two thirds of public spending in Wales. There are of course other cuts affecting Wales - S4C's budget will be reduced by two per cent. A recruitment freeze means retiring civil servants won't be replaced.

But the suggestion that Wales is "hit hardest" by initial cuts averaging around one per cent or "suffering the brunt of cuts" will be news to those living in the rest of the UK.

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