Business rate holiday set to help hundreds
A BUSINESS rates holiday to help traders hit by the impact of the coronavirus is expected to benefit around 800 businesses in Newport.
Newport City Council has formally agreed to adopt the Welsh Government scheme, providing 100 per cent rate relief for one year to shops, leisure and hospitality businesses.
An urgent report to ensure the scheme is applied for businesses as soon as possible was signed off by council leader, Cllr Jane Mudd.
Full relief will be provided for qualifying businesses – such as shops, pubs, restaurants, cafes, gyms and hotels – which must have a rateable value of less than £500,000.
A council report says around 800 businesses will benefit in the city, with an adjusted rates bill aimed to be issued before their first payment is due.
“Due to the Covid-19 coronavirus situation, a number of businesses are prohibited from trading, others have seen their trade drastically reduced,” the report says.
“In response, the Welsh Government has issued details of a fully funded scheme to give 100% rate relief for one year for businesses occupying properties in the retail, leisure or hospitality industry.”
MILITARY teams across Wales have been put in a state of “higher readiness” as they prepare for what might come “further down the line”.
From today, troops will start building 335 beds in the field hospital being constructed at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff.
Elsewhere, reservist forces from 3 Royal Welsh, based at Maindy, Cardiff, and serving troops from the Rifles at Chepstow and 14 Signal Regiment at Brawdy, Pembrokeshire, are all ready to jump into action with just 24 hours’ notice.
The scale of the reserved forces’ mobilisation within the UK is “unprecedented”, said an Army spokesman yesterday.
Military Aid to the Civil Authorities (MACA) is only provided when there are “no other options available,” he added.
This is the collective term used by the Ministry of Defence to refer to the operational deployment of the UK Armed Forces in support of civilian authorities, other government departments and the community as a whole.
Previously, soldiers have been drafted in during national crises, such as the flooding witnessed earlier this winter or during the Foot and Mouth crisis 20 years ago, or for international events like the Nato Summit in Newport and the Uefa Champions League Final in Cardiff.
Those latter two events had been “massively pre-planned” with the majority of the input from police, said the spokesman.
“What we are doing at the moment is reactive,” he added.
“These units have been allocated to
Wales and we will use them further down the road when some of the things we are expecting come into play.”
The units are now involved in mass planning with the 160 Brigade Army in Wales about how they can help, where they are needed and what they can do. They have been deployed across Wales, including at the Welsh Government’s Emergency Coordination Centre Wales in Cardiff, the four local resilience forums and the seven local health boards.
As part of preparations, the Army in Wales has just finished training 60 soldiers over two days to support the Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust.
The training, at the Sennybridge Training Camp, near Brecon, was put on at the request of the Ambulance Service, who are anticipating a surge in demand on staff whose numbers have already been depleted by selfisolation.
Jason Killens, chief executive of the Welsh Ambulance Service, said it was necessary to be prepared for any eventuality.
He said: “As Wales’ national ambulance service, it is only right that we maximise every opportunity available to us to bolster our capacity in order that we can provide the best service possible to people in Wales through the Covid-19 outbreak. We need to be prepared for every eventuality and enlisting military support is one of a number of measures we’ve put in place in order to help maintain ambulance services during the outbreak.”
During the two-day training, soldiers tried on hazmat suits as they were taught how to apply protective gear required for work on the front line. Soldiers are now ready to accompany paramedics out on calls, although military ambulance drivers will not drive ambulances under bluelights.
The armed forces have also been training to drive oxygen tankers at the air products facility in Port Talbot to support the NHS.
Commander Joint Military Command Wales Brigadier Andrew Dawes CBE said it was a “privilege” to help in the fight against coronavirus.
He said: “We are humbled to be in a position to provide support to our partners and public service colleagues at this critical time.
“The Joint Military Command Wales is assisting in a host of liaison, planning and preparatory tasks from Welsh Government level to the four regional resilience forums. We have delivered specific training to enable service personnel to support the Welsh Ambulance Service with additional driving capacity when needed.”
Welsh Secretary Simon Hart said yesterday that the Army had always been part of UK resilience and UK contingency planning.
Soldiers have skills developed in challenging environments, such as setting up field hospitals in warzones, and to use their skills during the coronavirus crisis could help the country fight the disease.
Mr Hart said: “The UK’s Armed Forces are supporting the critical work of our NHS and social care workers and I would like to extend my gratitude towards all those working to tackle the coronavirus in Wales.”