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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what additional steps his Department plans to take to support businesses that have been affected by both the covid-19 outbreak and the June 2020 floods.

The Government has announced an extensive package of support for businesses to help with their ongoing business costs in recognition of the disruption caused by Covid-19.

The?Small Business Grant Fund (SBGF) and the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant Fund (RHLGF)?have supported many thousands of small businesses?with their ongoing business costs in recognition of the disruption caused by Covid-19.

In addition, on?1 May,?my Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced that up to £617 million is being made available to Local Authorities?in England to allow them to provide discretionary grants. The?Local Authority Discretionary Grants Fund (LADGF) is aimed at small businesses with ongoing fixed property-related costs but not liable for business rates or rates reliefs.

The SBGF, RHLGF and LADGF are just some of the measures the Department is working on to ensure there is immediate support for our local economies alongside our overall ambition to level up communities across the country.

For more information on the SBGF, the RHLGF and the LADGF please visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-business-support-grant-funding-guidance-for-businesses

In order to be eligible for Government’s Flood Recovery Framework, including funding to supported flooded domestic and business properties, individual Local Authority areas had to have in excess of 25 residential properties and should have reported this data to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.