Paul Davies MS welcomes the Comprehensive Spending Review

The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak MP, today (November 25) announced the Comprehensive Spending Review.

Commenting, Paul Davies MS – the Leader of the Welsh Conservatives in the Welsh Parliament – said:

“The announcement today will be welcome news across Wales and the rest of our United Kingdom.

“And in fact, it is because of our strong United Kingdom that Wales is going to benefit from £1.3 billion for the Welsh Labour-led Government through the Barnett formula, including £700 million in relation to COVID-19.

“This can used by the Welsh Government to grow the economy, improve public services and support people and businesses across Wales. I said ‘this can be used’, but of course it is up to the First Minister and his Labour administration to determine how it is used. Welsh Conservatives will, naturally, be holding the government here to account each step of the way, and each pound allocated.”

Mr Davies also said that the UK Government had done much for Wales during the pandemic and lockdown, including supporting almost 400,000 jobs here through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, and investing more than £1.6bn in over 50,000 businesses through the Bounce Bank Loan Scheme and the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme. There have also been some 203,000 claims made through the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme in Wales.

Mr Davies added:

“It’s been clear all through the pandemic just how necessary our United Kingdom is, how vital it is in levelling up all in the UK including in Wales, and how much belief the Chancellor and the UK Government has in our nation.”