Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the Omicron Hospitality and Leisure Grant Guidance for Local Authorities, published on 21 January 2022, for what reason his Department excluded gyms and sports businesses from the Omicron Hospitality and Leisure Grant.
Answered by Paul Scully
The Government has delivered to Local Authorities over £700 million for grants to support businesses most impacted by Omicron, part of a £1 billion wider support package announced by the Chancellor on 21 December.
The Omicron Hospitality and Leisure Grant supports businesses that offer in-person services, where the main service and activity takes place in a fixed rate-paying premises, in the hospitality, leisure and accommodation sectors. For the purposes of this scheme, the definition of a leisure business excludes gyms and sports businesses where physical exercise or training is conducted on an individual basis or group basis. The funding supports sectors where social mixing is a primary motivation for consumers.
Alongside the Omicron Hospitality and Leisure Grant, more than £100 million worth of Additional Restrictions Grant discretionary funding has also been made available to Local Authorities in England to support other businesses severely impacted by Omicron. Gyms, yoga studios and other sports businesses may be eligible for this scheme. Local Authorities have discretion to allocate this funding to businesses most in need.
The Guidance for both OHLG and ARG schemes can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/local-restrictions-support-grants-lrsg-and-additional-restrictions-grant-arg-guidance-for-local-authorities
On top of wider economic support, the Government announced a £100 million support fund for Local Authority leisure centres to ensure these important facilities remain available once public health restrictions are lifted.
Sport England has provided £270 million directly to support community sport clubs and exercise centres through this pandemic, via a range of funds. This includes £8,991,129 on multisport projects which included yoga, and of which £108,573 was specifically to fund yoga.
Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he has plans to provide additional financial support for yoga studios.
Answered by Paul Scully
The Government has delivered to Local Authorities over £700 million for grants to support businesses most impacted by Omicron, part of a £1 billion wider support package announced by the Chancellor on 21 December.
The Omicron Hospitality and Leisure Grant supports businesses that offer in-person services, where the main service and activity takes place in a fixed rate-paying premises, in the hospitality, leisure and accommodation sectors. For the purposes of this scheme, the definition of a leisure business excludes gyms and sports businesses where physical exercise or training is conducted on an individual basis or group basis. The funding supports sectors where social mixing is a primary motivation for consumers.
Alongside the Omicron Hospitality and Leisure Grant, more than £100 million worth of Additional Restrictions Grant discretionary funding has also been made available to Local Authorities in England to support other businesses severely impacted by Omicron. Gyms, yoga studios and other sports businesses may be eligible for this scheme. Local Authorities have discretion to allocate this funding to businesses most in need.
The Guidance for both OHLG and ARG schemes can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/local-restrictions-support-grants-lrsg-and-additional-restrictions-grant-arg-guidance-for-local-authorities
On top of wider economic support, the Government announced a £100 million support fund for Local Authority leisure centres to ensure these important facilities remain available once public health restrictions are lifted.
Sport England has provided £270 million directly to support community sport clubs and exercise centres through this pandemic, via a range of funds. This includes £8,991,129 on multisport projects which included yoga, and of which £108,573 was specifically to fund yoga.
Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what plans he has to to extend eligibility for the Omicron Hospitality and Leisure Grant to (a) gyms, (b) yoga studies and (c) other sports businesses.
Answered by Paul Scully
The Government has delivered to Local Authorities over £700 million for grants to support businesses most impacted by Omicron, part of a £1 billion wider support package announced by the Chancellor on 21 December.
The Omicron Hospitality and Leisure Grant supports businesses that offer in-person services, where the main service and activity takes place in a fixed rate-paying premises, in the hospitality, leisure and accommodation sectors. For the purposes of this scheme, the definition of a leisure business excludes gyms and sports businesses where physical exercise or training is conducted on an individual basis or group basis. The funding supports sectors where social mixing is a primary motivation for consumers.
Alongside the Omicron Hospitality and Leisure Grant, more than £100 million worth of Additional Restrictions Grant discretionary funding has also been made available to Local Authorities in England to support other businesses severely impacted by Omicron. Gyms, yoga studios and other sports businesses may be eligible for this scheme. Local Authorities have discretion to allocate this funding to businesses most in need.
The Guidance for both OHLG and ARG schemes can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/local-restrictions-support-grants-lrsg-and-additional-restrictions-grant-arg-guidance-for-local-authorities
On top of wider economic support, the Government announced a £100 million support fund for Local Authority leisure centres to ensure these important facilities remain available once public health restrictions are lifted.
Sport England has provided £270 million directly to support community sport clubs and exercise centres through this pandemic, via a range of funds. This includes £8,991,129 on multisport projects which included yoga, and of which £108,573 was specifically to fund yoga.
Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether businesses providing takeaway services during the January 2021 covid-19 lockdown are eligible for the top up grants for retail, hospitality and leisure businesses announced on 5 January 2021.
Answered by Paul Scully
The Government has introduced an unprecedented package of support for businesses that are required to close, or which are severely affected by the restrictions put in place to tackle Covid-19 and save lives.
Businesses that are mandated to close by law due to the current national restrictions can access grants of up to £4,500 per 6 weeks of closure through the Local Restrictions Support Grant (Closed) Addendum: 5 January onwards. Furthermore, the Closed Business Lockdown Payment will provide each closed business with a one-off payment of up £9,000. This includes businesses who have been mandated to close but have adapted to operate takeaway, click and collect or online delivery services.
Those who provide takeaway as their main business prior to the restrictions will not be eligible for the Local Restrictions Support Grant (Closed) Addendum: 5 January onwards but can still receive discretionary funding through the Additional Restrictions Grant.
Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions (a) he and (b) his Department has had with officials from banks on extending the eligibility criteria for support from the Bounce Back Loan Scheme.
Answered by Paul Scully
The Government continues to enhance its engagement with a broad range of trade and representative bodies, in particular SME networks, to continue to understand the impact of Covid-19 on businesses and the concerns they have.
The Bounce Back Loan Scheme is open to most businesses, regardless of turnover, who meet the eligibility criteria and who were established on or before 1 March 2020.
The Scheme is targeted at supporting those businesses who need access to finance quickly and, therefore, requires lenders to offer a standard product. It is therefore the case that the Bounce Back Loan Scheme is not suitable for all businesses.
There are a wide range of other Government measures to support public services, people and businesses through this disruption. Full details on the support available for businesses can be found on the GOV.UK website, or through contacting our business support helpline.
Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to increase the number of businesses that can access support from the Bounce Back Loan Scheme.
Answered by Paul Scully
The Government continues to enhance its engagement with a broad range of trade and representative bodies, in particular SME networks, to continue to understand the impact of Covid-19 on businesses and the concerns they have.
The Bounce Back Loan Scheme is open to most businesses, regardless of turnover, who meet the eligibility criteria and who were established on or before 1 March 2020.
The Scheme is targeted at supporting those businesses who need access to finance quickly and, therefore, requires lenders to offer a standard product. It is therefore the case that the Bounce Back Loan Scheme is not suitable for all businesses.
There are a wide range of other Government measures to support public services, people and businesses through this disruption. Full details on the support available for businesses can be found on the GOV.UK website, or through contacting our business support helpline.
Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what estimate his Department has made of the number of businesses in England who have applied unsuccessfully to the Bounce Back Loan Scheme.
Answered by Paul Scully
As of 15 November, 1,397,475 loans have been approved under the Bounce Back Loan Scheme, with a total value of £42.18 billion.
In total, the Bounce Bank Loan Scheme has received 1,766,768 applications. The applications figure includes: approved applications; applications that are still to be processed; applications that have been declined; and applications that may turn out not to be eligible or cases where customers have decided not to proceed.
Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department has taken to encourage banks to allow non-existing customers to access support from the Bounce Back Loan Scheme.
Answered by Paul Scully
The Government have always made clear to lenders that they should open to applications from new customers as soon as it is operationally possible for them to do so.
Businesses are free to approach any accredited lender for a Bounce Back Loan.
You can find a full list of accredited lenders on the British Business Bank website:
Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps (a) he and (b) his Department is taking to increase the number of accredited financial institutions taking part in the Bounce Back Loan Scheme.
Answered by Paul Scully
Accrediting lenders for the Bounce Back Loan Scheme has been a priority for the British Business Bank. The Bank therefore put in place substantial additional resources to support new lender accreditation as well as creating a streamlined process within the Bank to help onboard new lenders as quickly as possible.
The Bank has expanded the pool of delivery partners from seven at launch to 29 accredited lenders currently, substantially increasing access to the scheme for small businesses. The scheme remains open to new lenders to apply for accreditation and the Bank will continue to assess new applications while the scheme remains open.
Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what alternative methods of financial support are available to businesses who are unable to access support from the Bounce Back Loan Scheme; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Paul Scully
Throughout this crisis, the Government has sought to protect people’s jobs and livelihoods across the UK, support businesses, and public services. The Government has spent over £280 billion to do so this year.
If a business is not able to access the Bounce Back Loan Scheme, the British Business Bank offers a range of other support including:
The support available through the British Business Bank is one part of an unprecedented range of measures to back business. Full details on the support available for businesses can be found on the GOV.UK website, or through contacting our business support helpline.