Treasury hands Wales £475m to fight virus

DEVOLVED administrations will receive a total of £1.5bn for coronavirus response, the Treasury announced last night.

The cash breaks down as £475m for the Welsh Government, £780m for the Scottish Government and £260m for the Northern Ireland Executive.

This funding, said the Treasury, is in addition to the UK-wide support including extending Statutory Sick Pay, making it easier and quicker to access benefits, and providing a Business Interruption Loan Scheme, among other measures.

Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, pictured, said: “We will do what is right to help businesses and individuals in every part of the UK. That is why we announced a special funding package at the Budget last week to support those affected by Covid-19.”

■ The Welsh Government is today announcing a package of support worth more than £200m for small businesses to help them during the coronavirus outbreak.

Shops, leisure and hospitality businesses with a rateable value of £51,000 or less will receive 100% business rate relief and pubs with a rateable value of between £51,000 and £100,000 will receive a £5,000 reduction on their bill.

A further £100m will be available for a new grant scheme for small businesses which are not eligible for this new business rate relief. Further details on this new grant scheme will be confirmed as soon as possible.

Announcing the decision, Finance Minister Rebecca Evans said: “I’m pleased we can offer this package of support to businesses as part of our response to the coronavirus outbreak.

“We are allocating every penny of the funding we will be receiving as a consequence of the schemes the UK Government announced in England last week to support businesses in Wales.

“But I know that helping businesses with their rates bills will not be enough to protect them from the severe drop in custom many are experiencing as coronavirus cases increase.

“We will be calling on the UK Government to act quickly and decisively to provide a very significant support package for vulnerable businesses and their employees.”