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 announcement of a one-off grant for businesses in the retail, hospitality and leisure businesses on 5 January 2021, if he will advise local authorities to include wholesale distribution businesses in the eligibility criteria.

Officials are working closely with local authorities to deliver the one-off grant for businesses, announced by the Rt. Hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer on the 5^th January.

Through the Closed Businesses Lockdown Payment Grant, all rate-paying businesses mandated to close may eligible for a grants of up to £9,000. This is alongside the Local Covid Restrictions Grant (Closed) Addendum for 5 January onwards scheme, which provides grants of up to £4,500 per six-week period of closure.

For those businesses not mandated to close but who have had their trade adversely affected by the national and localised Covid-19 Restrictions, the Chancellor announced a further top up of £500 million to the exiting £1.1bn in Additional Restrictions Grant Fund. Local authorities have discretion to use this funding to support businesses in the way they see fit in their local area.