The places in Wales which have received the most money from Welsh Government business grants during coronavirus crisis

£639m has been given to businesses in Wales

Businesses in Wales have received £640m in grants from the Welsh Government since the coronavirus crisis began.

The latest figures published today (Wednesday) show more than 52,000 grants, totalling £640m, have been paid to businesses in Wales.

Of all Wales' 22 local authorities, Cardiff has received the most funding, followed by Powys and Swansea, as businesses struggle to survive during the lockdown.

These payments are grants and the businesses will not have to pay back the money when the crisis is over.

Which areas have had the most grants?

These figures show the number of payments made per area and the total amount of cash given out:

• Wales - 52,333 grants - £639,854,000
• Cardiff - 4,402 - £60,025,000
• Powys - 3,897- £46,245,000
• Swansea - 3,445 - £43,390,000
• Rhondda Cynon Taf - 3,392 - £39,635,000
• Carmarthenshire - 3,403 - £39,349,000
• Pembrokeshire - 3,260 - £39,320,000
• Gwynedd - 2,881 - £35,365,000
• Conwy - 2,676 - £33,180,000
• Caerphilly - 2,532 - £29,610,000
• Flintshire - 2,314 - £27,865,000
• Bridgend - 2,171 - £27,095,000
• Newport - 2,141 - £26,595,000
• Neath Port Talbot - 2,102 - £24,245,000
• Denbighshire - 1,992 - £23,625,000
• Ceredigion - 1,867 - £23,065,000
• Vale of Glamorgan - 1,784 - £22,580,000
• Monmouthshire - 1,535 - £20,180,000
• Wrexham - 1,657 - £19,730,000
• Isle of Anglesey - 1,517 - £19,325,000
• Torfaen - 1,285 - £15,070,000
• Blaenau Gwent - 1,135 - £12,685,000
• Merthyr Tydfil - 945 - £11,675,000

Wales' finance minister Rebecca Evans will set out the steps the Welsh Government has taken to dedicate more than £2.4bn to the coronavirus crisis when the supplementary budget is published later today.

The financial effort has provided more than £750m to fund the Welsh NHS and public service response, supporting the supply of PPE, investment in testing and tracing and NHS recruitment, while also offering the business support package.

She said: "This unprecedented financial response has maximised the immediate support we could offer to Welsh public services, businesses and the most vulnerable in this crisis.

"It is only right that we have been guided by a sense of what is fair when public finances are facing such enormous pressure. That is why we have gone beyond the funding we have received from the UK Government to deliver targeted support, from funding free school meals throughout the holidays to delivering the most generous business support package in the UK."

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She added that the Welsh Government wanted Westminster to reduce the financial constraints on them.

She said: "There are still many challenges ahead and our ability to respond is limited by the rigid financial rules imposed on us by the UK Government. Easing the rules on the way we manage our budget and the amount we can borrow will free up much-needed resources for the front lines in this crisis.

"I will continue to urge the UK Treasury to fix this problem and as we look ahead the Welsh Government will set out the case against any return to reckless austerity."