Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will extend eligibility criteria for business grants unallocated by local authorities to include business owners who have until now been ineligible for covid-19 related Government support.

COVID-19 business support measures, including the business grant funds, are a fully devolved matter.

The business grant funds were intended to support small businesses which faced high fixed property-related costs during the strict ‘lockdown’ period, when consumer footfall was dramatically reduced. As most businesses are now able to reopen, it is right that we wind up these schemes, which in England closed to new applicants on 28 August. We have asked Local Authorities in England to return any unallocated funds to the Exchequer.

The Government continues to review the economic situation and consider what support businesses need. However, there are currently no plans to re-open the business grants to new applications or to extend the eligibility criteria.