Part of 1. Questions to the Minister for Finance and Trefnydd – in the Senedd at 1:46 pm on 17 March 2021.
I can explain that very easily, because the funding available to us next year includes both the funding that was announced in the UK Government's budget on 3 March and also the more than £600 million that we're able to carry forward into the next financial year from this year, because of the good budget management decisions that we have taken. So, across the border, you'll have seen the absolutely scandalous approach that UK Government has taken to contact tracing. Here in Wales, it's been a localised service delivered by health boards, by local authorities, getting value for money for the Welsh taxpayer and also ensuring that those workers are employed on good terms and conditions. And that has meant that our system has been much cheaper and is much more effective, I have to say, and also that money is able to be freed up for us to spend next year, giving local authorities the certainty that they need, and health the certainty that it needs, and, importantly, allowing me to earmark £200 million in reserves for business support.