Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, for what reasons his Department asked the Local Government Association to withdrawn its advice note to local authorities that coach operators should be classified as leisure businesses for the purposes of covid-19 business support grants.

Eligibility for the COVID-19 business support grant, which is being led by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, is based in part on eligibility for the expanded retail business rates discount. My Department published guidance on the expanded retail discount on 25 March 2020. Local authorities are responsible for implementing the discount in line with the guidance, which states that eligible properties are shops, restaurants, cafes, drinking establishments, cinemas and live music venues; those used by visiting members of the public for assembly and leisure; or hotels, guest & boarding premises and self-catering accommodation. The majority of coach operators are therefore unlikely to be eligible for rates relief or related business support grants.