With businesses in Conwy and Denbighshire having already suffered three weeks of local lockdown, Clwyd West MS Darren Millar is calling on the Welsh Government to prioritise them for financial support now that Wales is set to enter a ‘Firebreak’ period.

Darren raised their plight in the Welsh Parliament yesterday and urged the Finance Minister to ensure they are front of the queue for support to survive the fallout of the decisions made by the Welsh Government.

He said:  

“Businesses in Conwy and Denbighshire are literally on their knees, and there are many jobs hanging by a thread.

“It's been almost three weeks since you put Conwy and Denbighshire, along with other parts of north-east Wales, into local lockdown. That means that they already have a wound that is three weeks deeper economically than the wound that is going to be inflicted on these parts of Wales as a result of the Wales-wide lockdown that will commence on Friday, yet they have not received a penny to support them in the local lockdown period.

“I've heard you griping about the resources available to the Welsh Government yet you've had more than £4.4 billion's worth of firepower at your disposal, thanks to the support of the UK Government. Why can't you focus some more support on those places that have not yet been eligible for additional resources in north-east Wales, as part of the package that you have unveiled along with the economy Minister this week? And can you assure businesses in Conwy and Denbighshire that they, because of the three weeks additional pain that they've endured, will be at the front of the queue for support?”

In her response, the Minister insisted that the Welsh Government is “going above and beyond” to support businesses in North Wales.

Speaking afterwards, Darren said:

“The Finance Minister may assert that businesses are being well supported, but my office is inundated with emails and calls from desperate business owners who would beg to differ.”