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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to ensure that manufacturers making Blackpool rock and other products exclusively for the tourism sector can access the covid-19 small business grants scheme on the same basis as other tourism businesses.

All businesses in England in receipt of Small Business Rates Relief (SBRR) and Rural Rates Relief (RRR) in the business rates system will be eligible for a payment of £10,000. This is estimated to apply to around 730,000 businesses across England and eligibility is not determined by sector.

Additionally, on 1 May 2020 the Business Secretary announced that a further up to £617 million is being made available to local authorities. Whilst this Local Authority Discretionary Grants Fund is primarily aimed at small businesses with ongoing fixed property-related costs but not liable for business rates and business rates reliefs, local authorities may choose to make payments to other businesses based on local economic need so long as they are not eligible for either a Small Business Grant, a Retail Hospitality and Leisure Grant or Self-employed Income Support Scheme funding.