£4 million for broadband, a Shared Rural Network and a freeze on fuel duty are just some of the positives for Pembrokeshire welcomed by Preseli MP Stephen Crabb following the 2020 Budget.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak also introduced a range of measures to help businesses in the wake of the coronavirus, including cutting business rates completely for small businesses in England and providing sick pay support for the self-employed.
Pembrokeshire will directly benefit from £4million to help its broadband connectivity, and when paired with the £1 billion Shared Rural Network, the broadband and mobile phone connectivity in Pembrokeshire will improve, as called for repeatedly by Stephen Crabb.
The Chancellor also announced that National Insurance Contributions tax threshold will rise from £8,632 to £9,500, allowing more people to keep more of their money.
Motorist will also benefit as fuel duty is frozen yet again, and the importance of the agricultural community has been made clear as the red diesel subsidy remains to help Pembrokeshire’s dedicated farmers.
And while coronavirus causes great concern, the Chancellor has announced a £30billion package to help the economy, including suspending business rates and boosting NHS funding. As welcome as these two announcements are, it’s imperative the Welsh Government follows suit in supporting local businesses and the NHS.
This additional spending in England triggers more money for Wales. Thanks to today’s Budget, the Welsh Government will see an extra £360 million, taking the total new funding for Wales to more than £1 Billion for the 2020-21 financial year.
Following the Budget, Stephen Crabb said:
“There are a number of announcements in this Budget that clearly show that the Conservative Government is committed to levelling up all parts of the country, and bringing in the much needed improvements that Pembrokeshire needs.
“From improving broadband and mobile phone signal, to helping people keep more of their hard-earned money in their pockets, this is a Budget that puts improvements and ‘getting things done’ at its very forefront.
“It is clear that this Government has listened to the needs of rural areas and has delivered the necessary funding to bring about the changes that people voted for at the General Election. The focus now turns onto the Welsh Government to ensure that the additional money they’ll receive is spent wisely, and the reliefs given to small English businesses are replicated here in Wales.”