Following the decision by the UK Government to send £227million to the Welsh Government in light of business support in England, Janet Finch-Saunders MS, Chairman of the Cross Party Group on Small Shops, has made urgent calls for the Welsh Government to fast track delivery of the additional funding to businesses.
The Chairman’s comments follow her submission of a Written Question to Ken Skates MS, Minister for Economy, Transport, and North Wales:
- Further to the announcement that £227million is being made available to the Welsh Government, will the Minister confirm that all the funding will be used to support businesses and provide a timeframe for when entrepreneurs can apply for the support?
Janet said:
“Continuing to support local businesses is my new year’s resolution, and you can be sure that I have hit the ground running already.
“With alert level 4 restrictions staying with us for the foreseeable, it is imperative that the Welsh Government takes all steps possible to help businesses survive this extremely serious disruption.
“It is excellent news that the UK Government is sending £227million to the Welsh Government. That was announced in the last 24hours, so we now urgently need a statement on how the funding will be used.
“Businesses cannot afford any delays in accessing the support. The mechanisms for distributing the finance are in place since the first lockdown last year, so there is no reason for delay.
“The Minister for Economy, Transport, and North Wales needs to start the year by fast tracking access to this support by using the processes already in place – not reinventing the wheel or having yet another pre-application day eligibility checker”
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