Grants give businesses £640m boost in crisis
BUSINESSES in Wales have received £640 million in grants from the Welsh Government since the coronavirus crisis began.
The latest figures published yesterday show more than 52,000 grants, totalling £640 million, have been paid to businesses in Wales.
Of all Wales’s 22 local authorities, Cardiff has received the most funding, followed by Powys and Swansea, as businesses struggle to survive during the lockdown.
The payments are grants and the businesses will not have to pay back the money when the crisis is over.
Wales’ finance minister Rebecca Evans set out the steps the Welsh Government has taken to dedicate more than £2.4 billion enormous pressure. That to the coronavirus crisis is why we have gone when a supplementary beyond the funding we budget was published yes- have received from the UK terday. Government to deliver
The financial effort has targeted support, from provided more than £750 funding free school meals million to fund the Welsh throughout the holidays NHS and public service to delivering the most response, supporting the supply of PPE, investment in testing and tracing and NHS recruitment, while also offering the business support package.
She said: “This unprecedented financial response has maximised the immediate support we could offer to Welsh public services, businesses and the most vulnerable in this crisis.
“It is only right that we have been guided by a sense of what is fair when public finances are facing such generous business sup- Government. Easing the port package in the UK.” rules on the way we manage
She added the Welsh our budget and the Government wanted amount we can borrow Westminster to reduce the will free up resources for financial constraints on the front lines in this crisis. them. She said: “There are “I will continue to urge still many challenges the UK Treasury to fix this ahead and our ability to problem and the Welsh respond is limited by the Government will set out rigid financial rules the case against any return imposed on us by the UK to reckless austerity.”
Number of payments made per area and the total amount of cash given out:
Wales ........... 52,333 grants .......... £639,854,000 Cardiff ....................... 4,402 ........... £60,025,000 Powys ....................... 3,897 ............ £46,245,000 Swansea .................. 3,445 ........... £43,390,000 Rhondda Cynon Taf .3,392 ........... £39,635,000 Carmarthenshire .... 3,403 ........... £39,349,000 Pembrokeshire ......... 3,260 ........... £39,320,000 Gwynedd .................. 2,881 ........... £35,365,000 Conwy ...................... 2,676 ........... £33,180,000 Caerphilly ................. 2,532 ........... £29,610,000 Flintshire ................... 2,314 ........... £27,865,000 Bridgend ................... 2,171 ........... £27,095,000 Newport .................... 2,141 ........... £26,595,000 Neath Port Talbot ...2,102 ........... £24,245,000 Denbighshire ............ 1,992 ........... £23,625,000 Ceredigion ................ 1,867 ........... £23,065,000 Vale of Glamorgan .... 1,784 ........... £22,580,000 Monmouthshire ........ 1,535 ........... £20,180,000 Wrexham .................. 1,657 ........... £19,730,000 Isle of Anglesey ........ 1,517 ........... £19,325,000 Torfaen ...................... 1,285 ........... £15,070,000 Blaenau Gwent ......... 1,135 ........... £12,685,000 Merthyr Tydfil ............... 945 ........... £11,675,000
This unprecedented financial response has maximised the immediate support we could offer to Welsh public services, businesses and the most vulnerable in this crisis - Wales’s Finance Minister Rebecca Evans