Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Financial Support: Covid-19

Wednesday 16 December 2020 · 2 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 1 Partly answered 1 Not answered 0

Key points

  • The Government have provided a record amount of support to the Welsh Government, including a funding guarantee of an additional 5 billion this financial year.
  • The Welsh Government will also receive an additional 1.3 billion next year, including 770 million to tackle covid-19.
  • The Welsh Government are sitting on over 1 billion of unallocated Barnett funding.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 David Simmonds Con Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner
Economy Wales
Context

The question arises from the need to assess whether there is adequate fiscal support provided by the UK government to the Welsh Government in response to the ongoing challenges posed by the covid-19 outbreak.

Question

What assessment has been made of the adequacy of fiscal support available to the Welsh Government in response to the covid-19 outbreak?

Answer from Simon Hart

The Government have provided a record amount of support to the Welsh Government, including a funding guarantee of an additional £5 billion this financial year. The Welsh Government will also receive an additional £1.3 billion next year, including £770 million to tackle covid-19.

Answered
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Q2 David Simmonds Con Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner
Wales
Context

The question addresses concerns over whether the additional funding provided to the Welsh Government is effectively reaching frontline services rather than being absorbed by bureaucratic costs.

Question

What further pressure can be brought to ensure that funding finds its way to frontline services and not absorbed in bureaucratic costs?

Answer from Simon Hart

My hon. Friend makes a very interesting point, particularly at a time when the Welsh Government are sitting on over £1 billion of unallocated Barnett funding, and so many businesses and institutions in Wales are crying out for support. As the Under-Secretary of State for Wales, my hon. Friend the Member for Monmouth (David T. C. Davies) said, we respect the devolution settlement and it is right that we should. However, if people are concerned, they have an opportunity to change this one-party state at the Senedd elections next May.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The answer addresses bureaucratic costs but shifts towards a political commentary on upcoming elections rather than concrete measures for allocation of funds.

How: Shifts Towards Political Commentary, Refers To Upcoming Election

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