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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent discussions he has had with local authority representatives on the effectiveness of criteria for the disbursement of the Additional Restrictions Grant.

The Additional Restrictions Grant is a discretionary scheme for which Local Authorities set eligibility criteria in the way that best fits their local area. Guidance makes clear that Local authorities may use this funding for grants or for other related business support.

The Government is working closely with local authorities in England to support the implementation of business grants during the Covid-19 pandemic and monitor the distribution of grant funds. Officials have engaged with the local government sector, including the Local Government Association, throughout the pandemic. This engagement has been through local government working groups and live-streams with all 314 local authorities managing grant schemes. In addition to the scheme guidance, we publish Frequently Asked Questions documents to help local authorities with their administration of grant schemes.