Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the total forecast figure budgeted for the Eat Out to Help Out scheme was when that scheme was launched in June 2020.

The original forecast figure for the Eat Out to Help Out scheme was £500 million. This estimate was based on the 2018 ONS Annual Business Survey turnover data for the relevant sectors, along with the Spring Budget consumption forecast, and was published in the Plan for Jobs 2020. This can be found under table 1 here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/a-plan-for-jobs-documents/a-plan-for-jobs-2020.

The amount paid under the scheme was £840 million, due to the popularity of the scheme and its effectiveness in meeting the policy objectives of incentivising consumer use of restaurants, and other such establishments, and protecting jobs in hospitality.