COVID business support

Date: 28 January 2022

Dear 

ATISN 15986

Thank you for your request which I received on 22 December 2021. You asked for the following information:  

All COVID grant funding received from the UK Government and in turn passed on to businesses with Wales. I would be happy to receive summarised figures to include:

• Amounts received by the Welsh Government in total and in each tranche of funding

• How this has been allocated to affected businesses in Wales both via the Council allocated rate system and also the ERF funding

• How much funding is remaining that hasn't been paid out directly to businesses

Our response

With regard to the breakdown of COVID funding the Welsh Government has received from the UK Government, Her Majesty’s Treasury published a detailed breakdown of funding: 

Block Grant Transparency: December 2021 (on GOV.UK)

This displays the consequential funding that the Welsh Government receives from the UK Government as a result of the Barnett formula. This indicates that, in total, the Welsh Government received around £5,770m in 2020-21 and £2,400m in 2021-22 as a result of the UK Government’s increase in departmental spend relating to COVID-19. It should be noted that £570m of the funding received in 2020-21 was carried across into the next financial year. As well as business support, the totals received cover a variety of key funding priorities including the NHS and other programme areas. 

The document categorises which programme in England the funding derives from but it is important to note that this does not result in a direct transfer of funding into the same programme in Wales. This reflects a key principle of devolution that any funding received is for Welsh Ministers to allocate in line with Welsh devolved priorities reflecting the particular circumstances in Wales arising as a result of the COVID pandemic.

The fiscal events up to, and including, the 2021 Autumn Budget and Spending Review are included in the document. Further changes are likely in relation to 2021-22 with the UK Government’s forthcoming Supplementary Estimates. 

In addition to this, I have provided a summary of funding issued under each fund:

Next steps

If you are dissatisfied with the Welsh Government’s handling of your request, you can ask for an internal review within 40 working days of the date of this response. Requests for an internal review should be addressed to the Welsh Government’s Freedom of Information Officer at: 

Information Rights Unit 
Welsh Government
Cathays Park 
Cardiff 
CF10 3NQ 

or e-mail: Freedom.ofinformation@gov.wales

Please remember to quote the ATISN reference number above.    

You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at:  

Information Commissioner’s Office 
Wycliffe House 
Water Lane 
Wilmslow 
Cheshire 
SK9 5AF

Telephone: 0303 123 1113
Website: www.ico.org.uk            

However, please note that the Commissioner will not normally investigate a complaint until it has been through our own internal review process.

Yours sincerely,