Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the expiry of the moratorium on the landlord’s right of forfeiture for non-payment of rent expires on 31 March 2021, what plans the Government has to provide longer term support to small businesses which remain closed due to covid-19 restrictions and have been unable to (a) generate income and (b) pay commercial rents during the covid-19 outbreak.

The Government recognises that this is a very challenging time for everyone, and COVID-19 is having a significant impact on our businesses. That is why we have introduced temporary measures to further safeguard businesses, the high street and millions of jobs.

During the pandemic, the Government has implemented a range of measures to support commercial property tenants and landlords, including the moratorium on forfeiture. The objective of these measures was to preserve tenants’ businesses through the COVID-19 pandemic and to give time and space to landlords and tenants to agree reasonable adjustments to rent and lease terms, including terms for the payment of accumulated rent arrears.

We have put in place one of the world’s most comprehensive economic responses – backed by over £280 billion – to protect jobs, businesses and public services throughout and beyond this pandemic. The measures introduced – including four Government-backed loan schemes, local authority grant funding, tax deferrals and the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) – have been designed to be accessible to businesses in most sectors and across the UK.

We have also extended the application deadline for the Bounce Back Loan Scheme (BBLS), the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS), and the Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CLBILS) ensuring there is further support in place for firms who need it during this ongoing period of difficulty.

We have already announced a successor loan scheme, which will launch immediately after the closure of the current schemes so there will be no gap in support for businesses.