Buses: Finance

(asked on 7th June 2021) - View Source

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made of the potential merits of making specific financial support available for coach operators during the covid-19 outbreak.


Answered by
Rachel Maclean Portrait
Rachel Maclean
This question was answered on 10th June 2021

Coach operators are able to access a range of financial support measures available to UK businesses.

In April, the Government granted an additional £425 million to local authorities in England through the Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG) fund. ARG funding is aimed at supporting businesses which are experiencing a severe impact on their business due to public health restrictions. While this funding is allocated at the discretion of local authorities, the Government has issued guidance to councils encouraging them to consider tour operators among the businesses eligible for support.

The Government has also launched a Recovery Loan Scheme, which ensures that businesses of any size can continue to access loans and other kinds of finance up to £10 million per business.

As we progress safely through the steps of the Roadmap, the Government will continue to engage with coach operators and with tourism stakeholders to assess how it can support the coach sector’s recovery in the long-term.

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