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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, for what reason (a) travel agencies (b) hairdressers and personal care providers and (c) gyms are not included in the list of eligible businesses set out in Annex A of the Omicron Hospitality and Leisure Grant Guidance document issued on 21 January 2022.

The Omicron Hospitality and Leisure Grant (OHLG) scheme 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. The funding supports sectors where social mixing is a primary motivation for consumers.

An indicative list of the types of businesses that can be supported under this scheme can be found at annex A of the scheme guidance. It is for Local Authorities to determine those cases where eligibility is unclear.

Local Authorities are encouraged to focus Additional Restrictions Grants (ARG) support on businesses who have been severely impacted by reduced business activity due to the spread of the Omicron variant. The guidance does not mandate specific evidence to determine if a business has been severely impacted by Omicron. It is for Local Authorities to issue grants at their discretion, based on local decision making.

The guidance for both OHLG and ARG schemes can be found here.