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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the letter of 13 November 2020 from the Leader of Kingston upon Hull City Council, Stephen Brady OBE, on the levels of covid-19 infection in the city, what plans he has to make discretionary support available to businesses in Hull and the East Riding once the November 2020 covid-19 restrictions end on 2 December 2020.

Hull City Council has received £5,195,560 and East Riding of Yorkshire Council has received £6,823,460 in Additional Restrictions Grant funding. This is a discretionary grant which is being provided to local authorities in order to provide support to their business communities over and above the up to £3,000 per four week period grant available to all businesses that are required to close due to national or local restrictions. The Additional Restrictions Grant can be spent at any point up until the end of financial year 2021/22.

In addition, areas reverting to either Tier 2 or Tier 3 following the national lockdown would be eligible for both Local Restrictions Grant Support (Closed) for businesses that are required to close and Local Restrictions Grant Support (Open) that provides Local Authorities with a discretionary fund to support businesses that are not required to close but are severely impacted.

We are working closely with local authorities to roll out business support grant schemes as quickly as practicable and we are keeping levels of support under close review.