Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the answer to the Answer of 12 May to Question 44022 on Business: Coronavirus, for what reason the amount that businesses with a rateable value of exactly £15,000 are eligibile for under the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant Fund changed from £25,000 to £10,000 on 9 April 2020; and if he will reinstate the initial award amount eligibility from that fund as issued on 18 March 2020.

The eligibility thresholds for the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant Fund have remained the same since the scheme was announced on 17^th March. We have been working at pace to design grant schemes to support businesses and protect jobs throughout Covid-19. We apologise for a human error made on an early version of a Covid-19 support measures factsheet which stated that the rateable value cut-off for the £25,000 Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Fund grant was £14,999. This has since been updated on 9^th April. The guidance to Local Authorities has always been very clear that retail, hospitality and leisure properties with a rateable value of £15,000 or below would be eligible for a £10,000 grant under the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant Fund.