Labour Assembly Member, Alun Davies has welcomed an increase of three per cent in the Assembly's budget settlement for Pembrokeshire.
The AM for Mid and West Wales said that given the economic and financial storm sweeping across the world the settlement represented 'probably the best that we could realistically have hoped for'.
Alun Davies said: "I hope that Pembrokeshire will continue to make the efficiencies that will still be required to ensure that taxpayers get the best value for money and to strengthen the services delivered across the county
"I have met with the Local Government Minister, Dr. Brian Gibbons, to discuss this issue over the year. There are clear pressures on local authorities to provide good quality, localised services in rural areas given the economic conditions we are currently experiencing."
Alun Davies continued: "Overall, given the total amount of funding available at the moment, this is probably good news for Pembrokeshire. The county will receive one of the biggest increases in spending from the Welsh Assembly Government of all of the councils in Wales which reflects spending requirements and takes into account the expectation that inflationary pressures will ease in the 2009/10 financial year."
"The three per cent rise, which is 1.5 per cent above the base increase for next year, increases the amount of spending to £159,155,000."
Leader of the Labour Group in Pembrokeshire County Council, Sue Perkins said: "The Labour led Assembly Government is looking after rural counties like Pembrokeshire. Pembrokeshire should be proud of the services we can provide with the help of the Welsh Assembly Government in these difficult budgetary times."
The Assembly Government has assigned a multi-millions pound budget to help authorities such as Pembrokeshire County Council to continue providing concessionary bus fares and the flying start programme in the county.