UK’s public spending watchdog estimates £210bn coronavirus bill

NAO forecast for costs of 190 pandemic measures over half year finds furlough outlay of £35.4bn so far most expensive

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The government response to the coronavirus pandemic is on track to cost the public purse £210bn for the first six months of the crisis, Whitehall’s spending watchdog has said.

Reflecting the scale of the emergency since March, the National Audit Office (NAO) said ministers had instigated more than 190 measures in response to the crisis so far, including emergency job support, additional NHS funding, and business grants.

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