Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what fiscal steps his Department is taking to ensure that businesses in the hospitality, leisure and retail supply chain are able to survive the January 2021 covid-19 lockdown.

The Government recognises that businesses in the hospitality, leisure and retail supply chain have been severely impacted by recent necessary restrictions to these sectors.

The Chancellor has announced that £594 million is being made available for Local Authorities and the Devolved Administrations to support businesses ineligible for grants for closed businesses, but who might be impacted by COVID-19 restrictions. This funding comes in addition to the £1.1 billion discretionary grant for Local Authorities previously announced. Local Authorities have discretion to determine how much funding to provide to businesses and have the flexibility to target local businesses that are important to their local economies.

Businesses in the hospitality, leisure and retail supply chain will also be able to benefit from: the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS), extended until the end of April 2021; a ‘New Payment Scheme’ for spreading out repayments of deferred VAT; access to affordable, Government backed loan schemes, extended until the end of March; and ‘Pay as You Grow’ providing businesses repayment flexibility on loans secured through BBLS or CBILS.