The Member of the Welsh Parliament for Aberconwy, Janet Finch-Saunders MS – has today (21 October) urged the Welsh Government to provide fair access to additional financial support for those businesses in regions which were already in local lockdown at the time of the First Minister’s ‘firebreak’ announcement. 

She also urged the Welsh Minister for Economy, Transport and North Wales to review the decision to enact a rateable value cap of £51,000. The decision currently precludes many local hospitality businesses from gaining access to necessary funding support.  

Commenting on her Plenary questions, Janet said:  

“If the ever-changing details available from Business Wales are anything to go by, it looks as if businesses in Aberconwy will potentially be awarded the same basic funding support as those regions who have not experienced a local lockdown prior to the First Minister’s ‘firebreak’ announcement. 

“The Welsh Government’s decision to make a further £1,000 grant discretionary to those areas who were affected by lockdown measures prior to this firebreak announcement is also unacceptable.  

“This simply fails to recognise that many of my local businesses have been in local lockdown since 1 October and already facing thousands of pounds worth of loss. By the conclusion of the Welsh Government’s national ‘firebreak’ period, the County of Conwy will have been in lockdown for almost six weeks. 

“This is why I have urged the Welsh Government to provide fair access to additional financial support for businesses throughout Aberconwy. To allow the extra funding for locked-down areas to operate only on a first come first serve basis means it merely degenerates into a race and is an insult to all businesses affected. 

“I have also urged the Welsh Minister for Economy to review the decision to enact a rateable value cap of £51,000. Changing this cap would allow my local hospitality businesses to get the support they need to remain afloat and maintain jobs.” 

ENDS