Another £95m for Wales to tackle outbreak
THE UK Government yesterday committed a further £95m to support the Welsh Government, Local Government Secretary Robert Jenrick announced yesterday.
The extra cash comes as a result of the UK Government’s £1.6bn funding boost for councils across England. This takes the total given by the UK Government to support the effort in Wales to almost £2bn.
Coronavirus is costing councils more than £30m a month in lost income, according to the leader of the Welsh Local Government Association.
Secretary of State for Wales Simon Hart said: “With this latest direct funding, in addition to the support offered to people and businesses across Wales through UK-wide initiatives, the UK Government continues to do whatever it takes to ensure that everyone in Wales is able to access the support they need.
“This extra £95m will help the Welsh Government deliver vital services to help people get through the pandemic.”
Mr Jenrick MP said: “We stand shoulder to shoulder with local government and my priority is to make sure they are supported so they can continue to support their communities through this challenging time. Council workers are the unsung heroes as we tackle this virus.”
Meanwhile, Mr Jenrick yesterday defended his decision to spend the lockdown at his home in Herefordshire rather than in London after questions were raised about the move.
As he headed the daily Downing Street press conference on the coronavirus crisis, Mr Jenrick was asked if he should apologise for the claim that Herefordshire is his family home as his children attend school in London and his wife works in the capital.
The Newark MP said: “I joined my family at our home in Herefordshire as soon as I was able to do so, as soon as we made the decision that it was no longer necessary to work in person in Westminster.
“I’ve been there since, I’ve been working from home and returned to Westminster last night to do this press conference because Parliament returns next week.”
Mr Jenrick also came in for scrutiny after it emerged he had visited his elderly parents. He said the trip was to deliver medicine to the self-isolating couple.