The Member of the Welsh Parliament for Aberconwy – Janet Finch-Saunders MS/AS – has today (15 February) made clear the need for further business support across the constituency, following an unprecedented announcement by the UK Government that it will provide the devolved administration in Wales with additional £650 million to help tackle Coronavirus. 

It comes after the UK Government introduced an unprecedented upfront guarantee in July 2020 to provide the devolved administration with funding certainty to respond to Covid-19. Last week, in a question to the Minister for Finance, the Member pressed for a funding support commitment and a sector specific “roadmap to recovery”.  

Making the case for business support, Janet said:  

“I warmly welcome this significant funding announcement by the UK Conservative Government; a feeling I know will be shared by my fellow residents and our many long-suffering businesses across Aberconwy.  

“Crucially, this further tranche of support has also arrived on top of the £655 million of Covid-19 funding from last year that was left unallocated by the Welsh Government ahead of the Winter months. Ministers in Cardiff Bay must now provide details on how this money will be spent. 

“Whilst necessary provisions to our NHS health boards and local government are likely to account for a large share of the unallocated funding in their final Budget, we should also remember that this money was also intended to support Welsh businesses and those sectors on the brink. 

“As my first digital forum with the local hospitality and tourism industry made clear, cash is needed by Aberconwy-based businesses now. We cannot sit by and allow this funding to remain in Welsh Government coffers, waiting for a rainy day spending spree. Jobs remain at risk and livelihoods at stake. 

“With an acknowledgment that the UK Government have worked closely with the Welsh Government in advance of this announcement, I will now be  pressing for certainty that further sector-specific business support will be included in their budget, which is due to be finalised tomorrow.” 

ENDS 

Notes to Editors:  

• A full explanation of the Barnett guarantee can be found here. 
• On 21 December, the Welsh Government published its draft budget for 2021-22. The Welsh Government kept significant Covid-19 funding unallocated, as it assessed “the course of the pandemic over winter months.” Large additional allocations will need to be made at the Final Budget for 2021-22 set for 2 March, as well as in later supplementary budgets. You can find more analysis on this, by clicking here.  

Photo: Janet Finch-Saunders MS/AS