EXTRA money for schools in Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak’s budget today has been welcomed by Devon County Council.

The Chancellor announced that schools nationwide are to get an extra £4.7bn by 2024-25 and that there will be nearly £2bn to help schools and colleges to recover from the pandemic.

The Government says this will return schools funding to 2010 levels in real terms, with a cash increase per pupil of more than £1,500.

The county council has also welcomed news that it is to receive £50,000 to update its business case for the Tavistock to Bere Alston railway line.

It plans to use the money to make a fresh application for reinstating the line to the Department for Transport.

Devon County Council’s Cabinet member for schools Andrew Leadbetter said: ‘We’ve been calling for fairer funding for education and the Chancellor’s promise to return school spending to 2010 levels in real terms is very welcome. But we still need to see funding for Devon’s children being levelled up to pupils in other areas with a change to the national funding formula.

’The extra money for special needs education with more places for our most vulnerable children is also welcome but it doesn’t appear to address the continuing disparity in the funding we get and the increasing needs we have to satisfy.

‘The council also heard in today’s budget announcement, funds of £50k to update the business case for the Tavistock to Bere Alston railway line. The council produced a business case a few years ago, but they will now use the funding announced today to refresh the business case and submit it to the Department for Transport.’

Meanwhile, the area’s hostelries welcomed the Chancellor’s announcment of a reduction in the ‘draught duty rate’ in pubs.

The duty on draught beer and cider will be cut by 5%, about 3p a pint.

It is hoped that it will encourage people back into community pubs, making prices closer to those of alcohol ’takeaways’ from the supermarkets.

Peter Bridle, South West Regional Director for CAMRA, the Campaign for Real Ale, said: ’The introduction of reduced draught duty rate is good news for cask (real ale), cider and perry drinkers and the UK’s pubs.

‘This is something that CAMRA has campaigned on for a few years and we are very pleased that the Government has listened and has agreed that beer, cider and perry sold in pubs and social clubs should be taxed at a different rate to that sold in places such as supermarkets.

‘Community pubs need support like never before and we hope that this new Draught Duty rate will go some way to encourage people back into community pubs which will also help boost local economies.’

There wa also a budget boost for the stricken hospitality and leisure industry as it emerges from the pandemic, with a 50% business rate discount for pubs, cinemas, restaurants, gyms and other venues.

The budget, which is the second of 2021, also promised extra money for affordable housing. Already announced on Monday, the minimum wage will increase to £9.50 an hour from April next year for all those aged 23 and over.

Meanwhile pubic sector workers are set to get a pay rise.