I welcome the news that Wales will receive a boost in the budget announcement by the Chancellor Rishi Sunak, however as always the devil will be in the detail, writes Jane Dodds MS.

What we really need is an increase in powers here in Wales and in local communities to ensure that additional funds are spent in a way which provides the greatest benefit to the people of Wales.

I am also still seriously concerned about the impact of the universal credit cut on large sections of the Welsh population. Greater investment is needed in people if we are to see real social mobility in Wales. His tax hike on national insurance will leave thousands of Welsh families struggling to cope with the cost of living crisis.

I would also like to see clarity over the announced ‘Multiply Numeracy Programme’ which the Chancellor referred to as a UK-wide programme funded by the shared prosperity fund, despite education being devolved in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

On another note, it is shocking to see the UK Government is cutting air passenger duty on the eve of COP26, what message does this send to the world about how seriously we take our climate goals?

Elsewhere, small and medium-sized businesses across Wales, from tech start-ups to hairdressers and cafes, will pay an extra £99.4 million a year due to the rise in national insurance, research commissioned by the Liberal Democrats has found.

The Tories’ broken manifesto promise will create a tax bombshell for the small businesses that are the backbone of our communities. It’s little wonder that voters no longer see the Conservative party as the party of low tax.

We have already lost far too many treasured shops from our high streets, and too many businesses are drowning in tax rises and red tape.

Rishi Sunak must give small businesses the chance to grow again instead of clobbering them with a crippling tax rise. The Chancellor is out of touch with small businesses and if he truly cared about their survival, he would cancel this tax hike immediately.

The Liberal Democrats want to unleash the power of small businesses to create jobs and drive our economic recovery, by giving them the tax cut they need and deserve.