Cost of living support and Covid response receive contingency fund payouts

Just over £35m of additional funding given to gov't departments in 2022-23

Covid vaccines, cost of living schemes and pay awards were among the more than £35m paid out by government's contingency fund last year.

Treasury Minister Alex Allinson has published the figures handed out to government departments from the fund for the 2022-23 financial year.

The Department of Health and Social Care claimed £5.2m for the Covid response, including vaccinations and swabbing, while just over £5m went to Manx Care's contingency funding.

The DHSC and the Department of Infrastructure both secured funding for pay awards totalling almost £6m combined.

Three departments received inflationary cost support worth just over £6.8m, while Treasury claimed £6.8m to fund its cost of living support schemes.

Other initiatives covered by the contingency fund included £221,000 on the future of regional swimming pools, £55,000 on warm spaces and £66,000 on the domestic events fund.

In response to a written Tynwald question from Douglas North MHK David Ashford, Dr Allinson confirmed no claims have been awarded from the contingency award so far this year, but that the amounts tend to be awrded towards the end of the financial year once a department's financial position is known.