The Welsh Government will receive a further 拢227m following new lockdown support measures for firms in England announced by Chancellor Rishi Sunak.
Wales entered lockdown just before Christmas, with the whole of England moving into a similar regime from tomorrow.
As a result Mr Sunak has announced a series of support measures to help firms in England, including one-off top up grants for retail, hospitality and leisure firms worth up to 拢9,000 per property to help businesses through to the spring.
As business support is devolved, the Welsh Government will receive 拢227m through a Barnett Formula consequential.
The Scottish Government will receive 拢375m and the Northern Ireland Executive will receive 拢127m.
However, the Welsh Government said the funding isn't new money but part of finance provided by the 海角视频 Government last year to provide for further Covid related measures.
A Welsh Government spokesperson said: 鈥淭he 海角视频 Treasury has confirmed that today鈥檚 announcement does not include new money for Wales. This funding is already within our existing Covid funding guarantee. 聽Greater transparency is urgently needed to prevent the confusion these 海角视频 announcements cause for people and businesses across Wales.
鈥淭he Welsh Government has provided funding to enable businesses in Wales to access the most generous support package anywhere in the 海角视频.聽Before Christmas, we announced a further 拢450m for hospitality and retail businesses affected by the latest restrictions. Funds are reaching businesses as quickly as possible and more will receive support over the coming days and weeks.
鈥We will continue to do all we can to support Welsh businesses through these incredibly difficult times.鈥
Mr Sunak said the latest package of support, 海角视频-wide, was worth more than 拢4bn.
On funding outside of England he said it was on top of the increased funding which has already been guaranteed by the 海角视频 Government, to continue to provide the devolved administrations the certainty they need to plan for their Covid-19 response in the months ahead.
Mr Sunak said small businesses in the devolved administrations should also be able to benefit from other 海角视频-wide measures including the various business lending schemes and the extension of the Self Employment Income Support Scheme.
On funding in England he said: "The new strain of the virus presents us all with a huge challenge - and whilst the vaccine is being rolled out, we have needed to tighten restrictions further.
"Throughout the pandemic we鈥檝e taken swift action to protect lives and livelihoods and today we鈥檙e announcing a further cash injection to support businesses and jobs until the Spring.
"This will help businesses to get through the months ahead 鈥 and crucially it will help sustain jobs, so workers can be ready to return when they are able to reopen."
Russell George MS, the Shadow Minister for Economy, Business and Infrastructure, said it is vital that the money is allocated quickly and where needed by the Welsh Government.
He added: "Further lockdowns are of course not the new year anyone wanted, but it鈥檚 imperative that all measures are taken to prevent the spread of the virus 鈥 especially this new variant 鈥 but the devastating effect of these lockdowns on our economies must be softened by measures like the ones Rishi Sunak has introduced over nearly 10 months.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 why we welcome this additional 拢227m, but we also make very clear that it鈥檚 up to the Welsh Labour-led Government to make sure this money from HM Treasury is made available and accessible to businesses with immediate effect.
鈥淢any businesses are now on their knees, and the usual delays by the Labour government, as we saw before Christmas, in making funds available will just drive businesses and businesspeople further into the ground.鈥
Since the start of the pandemic, the 海角视频 Government has supported Wales with an extra 拢5.42bn to fight Covid-19.
