Fay Jones MP has welcomed the Spending Review which provides billions of pounds in the fight against coronavirus, delivers on the Conservative’s promises it has made to the British people and invests in the UK’s recovery.
On Wednesday, the Government set out an ambitious plan that focuses on levelling up across the country, investing in vital infrastructure that will ensure the UK builds back better from coronavirus.
As part of the Government’s commitments to fund the nation’s priorities, the Spending Review confirmed:
- Support for every country across the United Kingdom, increasing Welsh Government funding by £1.3 billion, Scottish Government funding by £2.4 billion, and £900 million for the Northern Ireland Executive.
- A new Levelling Up Fund, worth £800 million in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, to build the infrastructure of everyday life.
- More than £24 billion investment in defence – the biggest sustained increase in 30 years – allowing us to provide security not just for our country but around the world.
- A further £55 billion to help with our response to coronavirus – including £18 billion for mass testing, Test and Trace, PPE and vaccines.
- A new National Infrastructure Strategy, and a new UK infrastructure bank - headquartered in the north of England - to work with the private sector to finance major new investment projects across the UK.
Commenting, Fay Jones MP said:
“I was elected at last year’s General Election on a commitment to level up communities like ours, and I am thrilled that this Conservative Government is now making good on that promise – I am particularly pleased to see the £55 million that is going to be invested in the Mid Wales Growth Deal, which will create jobs and grow the economy in the place we call home.
“The Chancellor’s Spending Review tackles the unprecedented situation we face head on – ensuring lives and livelihoods in Brecon and Radnorshire are protected and supported in the weeks and months ahead.”
Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak MP said:
“Today’s Spending Review delivers the priorities of the British people. Our health emergency is not yet over, and the economic emergency has only just begun; so our immediate priority is to protect people’s lives and livelihoods.
“But today’s Spending Review also delivers stronger public services - paying for new hospitals, better schools and safer streets. And it delivers a once-in-a-generation transformation in our approach to infrastructure. Creating jobs, growing the economy, and increasing pride in the places people call home.”