Welsh Secretary apologises for misleading ‘new money’ claim

The Welsh Secretary has apologised for a misleading claim from the Tories that Wales was receiving “new money”.

The Welsh Conservatives previously said that Wales was to get an additional £227m from the UK Treasury to help tackle Covid-19, but Simon Hart MP told a committee today that the announcement had not been communicated “clearly”.

He conceded to the Welsh Affairs Select Committee that the £227m referred to formed part of an overall package of funding to the Welsh Government which had been previously announced.

Mr Hart told the committee that “we have to hold our hands up and say that that could have been done a little bit more clearly.”

The Welsh Government refuted the claim that it was new money when it was originally announced, with Minister for Finance Rebecca Evans saying it was part of existing funding.

She said: “This funding is part of our existing Covid funding guarantee and is not new money.

“The Welsh Government is already providing the most generous support package anywhere in the UK and will continue to support Welsh businesses through these difficult times.”

Plaid Cymru MP  Liz Saville Roberts has called on Boris Johnson to apologise for the claim.

She said: “Businesses all over Wales have been misled, patronised and ignored by the Tories throughout this pandemic. The Prime Minister must now follow the Welsh Secretary’s example and apologise to the people of Wales.”