Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 4 February 2021 to Question 144640 on Customs Grant Scheme, if he will allocate additional funding to the Customs Grant Scheme to allow businesses on the waiting list for that scheme to receive support.

In total, the Government has made over £80 million available to support businesses to deal with EU trade after 2020. The fund has now been fully allocated, no further applications are being accepted and a waiting list is being maintained by the grant scheme administrator.

The end of the transition period offers new opportunities to the intermediaries sector and means there are increased demands for the services of an intermediary, meaning intermediaries will be receiving significant income. Further Government support with cash flow remains available through the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) and related schemes.

In addition, the Government recently announced a £20 million SME Brexit Support Fund to support small and medium sized businesses (SMEs) to adjust to new customs, rules of origin, and VAT rules when trading with the EU. More information can be found at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/grants-to-help-small-and-medium-sized-businesses-new-to-importing-or-exporting.