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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how much of the £617 million of the Government's Discretionary Grant fund has been granted to businesses by local authorities.

On 1 May, the Government announced up to £617 million available in the form of the Local Authority Discretionary Grants Fund to support certain small businesses that are not liable for business rates or rates relief and are therefore out of scope of the Small Business Grants Fund and the Retail Hospitality and Leisure Grants Fund. Local authorities were responsible for defining precise eligibility for the scheme in their area, subject to businesses meeting the national eligibility criteria set out in the guidance. Local authorities continue to pay grants to eligible businesses. We will publish data on the amount granted to businesses under the Discretionary Grants Fund in due course and once all payments have been made.