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

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, where local authorities do not spend all of their allocation for the Small Business Grant Fund and the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant Fund, the recently announced top-up fund for Local Authority Discretionary Grants Fund will have to come out of any such underspend.

The Government has confirmed to Local Authorities that the additional costs of the Discretionary Grants Fund will firstly be met in whole, or in part, from unused monies allocated to them for the Small Business and Retail Hospitality and Leisure Grants Funds. Only where Local Authorities have disbursed more than 95% of their original funding allocation will their funding will be topped up to ensure that they can provide the full value of the Discretionary Grants Fund.

We recognise that some Local Authorities may still have residual initial funding available even accounting for the Discretionary Grants Fund expenditure. Officials continue to stay in close contact with Local Authorities?to understand how the schemes are performing and advising ministers on any additional support?which could be offered to help businesses and support local economies. No decisions have yet been taken, but the level of demand will continue to be monitored.