Ulster Unionist Leader, Steve Aiken OBE MLA, has welcomed the announcement of an extra £600 million of guaranteed funding for Northern Ireland from the UK Treasury.
Mr Aiken said:
“The announcement of an extra £600 million of guaranteed funding being made available by HM Treasury to the Northern Ireland Executive is another huge cash injection from the Government. This brings the total amount of extra financial support given to Northern Ireland since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic to a minimum of £2.2 billion. This represents an extra £1,100 being spent for every man, woman and child in Northern Ireland.
“By anyone`s calculations that is huge financial support and once again demonstrates the strength of the United Kingdom in times of crisis. The extra funding has helped the Health Service, sustained jobs and gives the Executive the opportunity to plan ahead with a reasonable amount of certainty.
“There are some who continually seek to criticise and undermine the Union, but even they must acknowledge that the Chancellor Rishi Sunak and the Treasury have followed through on their commitment that they would do ‘whatever it takes’ to get the United Kingdom through the Coronavirus pandemic.”