UK Government choices are costing thousands of jobs in Wales according to a Welsh Government minister.
Addressing the Senedd Wales' economy minister Vaughan Gething attacked the UK Government over their handling of funds that Wales used to receive from the EU in the Shared Prosperity Fund.
He told the Welsh Parliament: "With replacement EU funding, not only does the Shared Prosperity Fund leave us £1.1bn short compared to EU Structural and Rural funds, but the UK Government has pressed ahead with an approach that bypasses the Welsh Government and the Senedd, excludes key growth sectors and partners including universities, colleges and the voluntary sector, prevents high-impact strategic projects and puts unacceptable demands on our local authorities."
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He added that the fund was "smaller, less flexible and narrower in scope than the EU funding" and that there ""are around 1,000 imminent job losses across Welsh universities and scaled-back RD&I opportunities for Welsh businesses as a direct result of the UK Governments choices." Last year it was exclusively revealed in the book Independent Nation, the UK Government deliberately misled the public in Wales about how former EU funds would be used.
Mr Gething then pointed out that five local authorities – Flintshire, Merthyr Tydfil, Monmouthshire, Newport and the Vale of Glamorgan – have received nothing from the first two rounds of the levelling up fund.
The UK Government has been approached for comment.
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