Part of 2. Questions to the Minister for Finance and Trefnydd – in the Senedd at 2:59 pm on 23 September 2020.
Well, Welsh Government worked really closely alongside the Welsh Local Government Association and the Society of Welsh Treasurers through the early part of the summer to better understand the potential for lost income across the rest of the financial year. Lost income might come from things such as a lack of services that the council might normally provide—for example, car parking, theatres, and so on. So, a great deal of detailed work went on there and that's why I was very recently able to announce additional funding for local authorities in respect of items, including lost earnings, which brought the additional funding for local government up to nearly £500 million. So, I think we have worked with them beyond that first tranche of funding, which I recall was in the region of £70 million. But now we have provided funding that should look across to the end of the financial year. So, I'm concerned to hear that a local authority has suggested that this is an ongoing issue, but perhaps if you write to me we can get into a bit more of the detail of that.