Rates increase funding headlines for Hain?
You wouldn’t know it if you relied on the NIO statement by Secretary of State for Wales and Northern Ireland, Peter Hain, announcing the £35million Skills and Science Fund today, neither would you be aware of it from the BBC online report [perhaps they'll update that? - Ed].. although the broadcast version of the report did mention it.. but that £35million is coming from the increase in regional rates of 19%, which Hain announced back in October 2005 – and, of course, the announcement that Skills and Science would get £15million and £20million over the next two years was also in his budget speech in December.
