Part of 1. Questions to the Minister for Finance and Local Government – in the Senedd at 1:48 pm on 15 December 2021.
Thank you very much, Llywydd. Yes, omicron is casting a long shadow over Wales this Christmas, and although we can't predict exactly what the implications of the variant will be for the NHS and for public health, we are already seeing its impact, for example, on the hospitality sector, as you recognised earlier. So, to expand on your previous response, can you explain why you, as finance Minister, don't intend to release more funding to support the hospitality sector now? Because the impact on those businesses is being felt now, as we speak. Saying, 'Well, wait until I publish my budget on Monday' doesn't solve the problem, because those are expenditure commitments from April onwards.