Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the need for support during the January 2021 covid-19 lockdown for business in the coach and minibus sector, which do not qualify for Government grants.

The Government recognises the challenging times facing the coach sector as a result of Covid-19. Firms experiencing difficulties are able to draw upon the unprecedented package of cross-economy measures the government has put in place, including Time to Pay flexibilities with tax bills, financial support for employees and tax deferrals. These measures have been designed to ensure that firms of any size receive the help they need to get through this difficult time.

In addition, local authorities will receive an additional £500 million discretionary funding to support their local businesses. This builds on the £1.1 billion discretionary funding (worth £20 per head of population) which they have already received to support their local economies and help businesses impacted by the COVID-19 crisis. Local authorities have a significant amount of discretion when it comes to deciding which businesses receive payments from the ARG; we encourage them to use their allocations to set up discretionary grant schemes using this funding, e.g. for businesses who are affected by closures but who are not legally closed themselves. The coach sector may be able to benefit from these schemes. We encourage businesses to contact their local authority for more information on the ARG.