Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of a small business grant scheme targeted at small businesses which were ineligible for the original covid-19 business support schemes in the event of another covid-19 lockdown being imposed.

As of 24 August, over 893,000 business properties have received over £10.95 billion of grants from the Small Business Grant Fund and Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant Fund. The Government also allocated up to an additional £617 million to Local Authorities for the Discretionary Grant Fund, to enable Local Authorities to support some of the businesses which missed out on the SBGF and RHLGF due to the way in which they interact with the business rates system. These schemes all closed to new applicants on 28 August.

The Government continues to review the economic situation and consider what support businesses need. However, there are currently no plans to establish a new grants scheme targeted at small businesses which did not receive grants from the original schemes.