Question to the Scotland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what recent discussions he has had with the Scottish Government on the differences between the financial support available for retail, hospitality and leisure businesses in Scotland compared to the rest of the UK.

I regularly attend a cross-government Economic and Business Response Group, which discusses how to minimise the impact of Covid-19 and ensure that the UK Government, working in collaboration with the Scottish Government, can best support businesses.

Local business support and grants are a devolved policy. However, as a result of the grants schemes which we have established in England, the Devolved Administrations have received around £2.3bn of additional funding via the Barnett formula.

Through the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant Fund in England, the UK Government is providing eligible businesses in these sectors with grants depending on the rateable value of their properties. Eligible businesses in these sectors with a property that has a rateable value of up to and including £15,000 will receive a grant of £10,000 per property. Eligible businesses in these sectors with a property that has a rateable value of over £15,000 and less than £51,000 will receive a grant of £25,000 per property. In Scotland, businesses can only claim the full grant for one property, and 75% of the grant for any others.