Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to support the retail sector in Coventry during the covid-19 outbreak.

Retailers in Coventry have been able to benefit from 100% Business Rates Relief for financial year 2020/21, cash grants of up to £25,000, tax deferrals, and protection from eviction for non-payment of rent.

Retailers are also able to benefit from additional financial measures recently announced by my Rt. Hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, including the extension to the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, extension to the existing Loan Schemes to January 2021 with the ability to top-up Bounce Back Loans, and cash grants of up to £3,000 per month for businesses which are closed.

All shops can continue to offer home delivery and click and collect services to customers during the national restrictions in place from 5 November.

Four thousand and fourteen Coventry businesses from across all sectors have benefited from Local Authority Grants totalling £47,820,000.