Question to PM
Question to PM

In Parliament I’ve criticised the UK Government for letting down Welsh workers over the furlough scheme.

Last weekend the UK Government announced an extension of the furlough scheme when unveiling an England-wide lockdown. The Welsh Government had asked the UK Government for similar arrangements to be put in place in Wales from the start of our firebreak lockdown, but this request was rejected.

In response to the Prime Minister’s Covid-19 update to the House of Commons this week, I said “May I echo the frustration expressed by other members representing Welsh constituencies that the Prime Minister acted on furlough only when setting out England-wide action? As he has not explicitly said this, will he confirm that furlough support will be backdated in Wales? What funding will come to Wales as a result of the business grant support announced on Saturday?”

In response, the Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the government would “continue to support all parts of the UK, as we have throughout this crisis.”

Workers in Newport East and across Wales need urgent clarity from the Government on whether furlough will be backdated to the start of the firebreak lockdown, and on what support businesses here will receive from the recently announced Business Grant support. It was disappointing that the Prime Minister wouldn’t answer my question on this. Wales has been little more than an afterthought for this Tory Government yet again, and the Prime Minister is letting down Welsh workers.

You can read press coverage of my question here:

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