Show Search Form

Search Results

registered interest	true false
date	exactly: or between: and
answering body
answering dept id
answering dept short name
answering dept sort name
hansard heading
house id
legislature	pref label
question text
tabling member constituency
tabling member printed
uin
answer	is ministerial correction true false date of answer exactly: or between: and answer text answering member constituency answering member printed question first answered question first ministerially corrected answering member label previous answer version answering member constituency answering member printed answering member label
tabling member	label

Search

1230579

registered interest
date	02/09/2020
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Small Businesses: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what support is available to small businesses which do not meet the definition of a business in the retail, hospitality and leisure industry and therefore do not qualify for the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant Fund but which were directly affected by closures in those industries during the covid-19 outbreak.
tabling member constituency	Erith and Thamesmead
tabling member printed	Abena Oppong-Asare
uin	84369
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/09/2020 answer text <p>Small businesses which were not eligible for the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant Fund may have been able to receive a grant from the Local Authority Discretionary Grant Fund. Local Authorities had significant discretion when it came to setting the eligibility criteria for their discretionary grant schemes. In some areas, small businesses outside of the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors may have been able to receive discretionary grants.</p><p> </p><p>Small businesses which did not receive any grants should have been able to benefit from other measures in the Government’s unprecedented package of support for business during the COVID-19 crisis, including:</p><p> </p><ul><li>An option to defer VAT payments by up to twelve months;</li><li>The Bounce Back Loan Scheme, which will ensure that small and micro businesses can quickly access loans of up to £50,000 which are 100 per cent guaranteed by the Government;</li><li>The Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme, now extended to cover all businesses including those which would be able to access commercial credit;</li><li>The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, to support businesses with their wage bills; and</li><li>The Self-Employment Income Support Scheme, to provide support to the self-employed.</li></ul> answering member constituency Saffron Walden answering member printed Kemi Badenoch question first answered 07/09/2020 14:20:17 answering member 4597 label Biography information for Kemi Badenoch
tabling member	4820 label Biography information for Abena Oppong-Asare

1223881

registered interest
date	13/07/2020
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Small Businesses: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he has made an assessment of the effect of VAT regulations on the financial sustainability of small businesses that have been affected by the covid-19 outbreak.
tabling member constituency	East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow
tabling member printed	Dr Lisa Cameron
uin	72963
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/07/2020 answer text <p>All eligible businesses in the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors will pay no business rates in England for 12 months from 1 April 2020, and the Government deferred Value Added Tax (VAT) payments so UK VAT registered businesses did not need to pay any VAT due with VAT returns from 20 March through to the end of June 2020, until 31 March 2021.</p><p>HMRC’s Time to Pay service is available to all businesses needing support with tax payments.</p><p> </p><p>Statistics on the use of the VAT deferral are available online: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmrc-coronavirus-covid-19-statistics" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmrc-coronavirus-covid-19-statistics</a></p> answering member constituency Hereford and South Herefordshire answering member printed Jesse Norman question first answered 21/07/2020 13:24:56 answering member 3991 label Biography information for Jesse Norman
tabling member	4412 label Biography information for Dr Lisa Cameron

1195112

registered interest
date	12/05/2020
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Small Businesses: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 11 May 2020 to Question 43140 on Small Businesses: Coronavirus, what his timetable is for the allocation of that additional funding for local authorities to make discretionary payments to businesses excluded from Small Business Grants Fund and the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grants Fund; and on what basis the amount of funding allocated to each local authority will be calculated.
tabling member constituency	Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle
tabling member printed	Emma Hardy
uin	46135
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/05/2020 answer text <p>Local Authorities will be allocated 5% of the value of the existing grant funds in their areas to spend on new discretionary grants.</p><p>This will be calculated based on the data return from Local Authorities of Monday 4<sup>th</sup> May 2020, which includes a projection of spend totals for the Small Business and Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grants Funds.</p><p> </p><p>In cases where it later becomes clear that this calculation was an underestimate, then the 5% allocation will be adjusted upwards.</p><p> </p><p>Local Authorities can use expected underspends in their existing grant allocation to fund the Discretionary Grant Fund. If underspends do not prove sufficient, BEIS will allocate additional funding to Local Authorities. Local Authorities which need additional funding will receive confirmation of the amount of this funding by the end of May, and will receive this funding in early June.</p><p> </p><p>In total, Local Authorities in England can receive up to an additional £617 million for discretionary grants.</p> answering member constituency Saffron Walden answering member printed Kemi Badenoch question first answered 18/05/2020 09:19:14 answering member 4597 label Biography information for Kemi Badenoch
tabling member	4645 label Biography information for Emma Hardy

1194557

registered interest
date	11/05/2020
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Small Businesses: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what fiscal support is available for owner-operated or small limited companies run from home in the event that directors of those companies do not wish to furlough themselves as they want to continue to work to sustain their businesses.
tabling member constituency	Walthamstow
tabling member printed	Stella Creasy
uin	45170
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/05/2020 answer text <p>The current grants schemes administered by local authorities have been designed to ensure that payments are made quickly and efficiently to small businesses facing particularly high fixed-property costs. Businesses which are not eligible for these grants – such as those run from home offices – may benefit from other measures in the Government’s unprecedented package of support for business, including:</p><p> </p><ul><li>The Self Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS)</li><li>The Bounce Back Loan Scheme (BBL) for small and micro enterprises, which provides loans from £2,000 to £50,000, for which lenders receive a 100 per cent government guarantee, and which the borrower does not have to repay for the first 12 months</li><li>The Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) for larger loans</li><li>VAT deferral for up to 12 months</li><li>The Time To Pay scheme, through which businesses and self-employed individuals in financial distress, and with outstanding tax liabilities, can receive support with their tax affairs</li><li>A 3-month mortgage holiday</li></ul><p> </p><p>The Business Support website provides further information about how businesses can access the support that has been made available, who is eligible, when the schemes open and how to apply - <a href="https://www.businesssupport.gov.uk/coronavirus-business-support" target="_blank">https://www.businesssupport.gov.uk/coronavirus-business-support</a>. And details of the range of support for individuals affected by COVID-19 is available at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/support-for-those-affected-by-covid-19/support-for-those-affected-by-covid-19" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/support-for-those-affected-by-covid-19/support-for-those-affected-by-covid-19</a>.</p> answering member constituency Saffron Walden answering member printed Kemi Badenoch question first answered 18/05/2020 07:29:50 answering member 4597 label Biography information for Kemi Badenoch
tabling member	4088 label Biography information for Stella Creasy

1193656

registered interest
date	06/05/2020
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Small Businesses: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will provide additional support to SMEs such as dental and other medical practices by (a) requiring insurers to honour covid-19 claims under business interruption policies which covered notifiable diseases, even if covid-19 was not explicitly listed; and (b) allowing the directors of limited companies a monthly grant comparable to those given to employees and the self-employed.
tabling member constituency	New Forest East
tabling member printed	Dr Julian Lewis
uin	43821
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/05/2020 answer text <p>The Government recognises the important role all medical business play to protect and improve the health of the population and is taking many steps to support them during the COVID-19 outbreak:</p><ul><li>Dentists will be fully remunerated for the NHS work they would have otherwise undertaken, subject to some basic requirements.</li><li>On 2 April, the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) announced a £300 million cash advance for community pharmacies.</li><li>The NHS has committed to securing funding for NHS ophthalmic contractors based on average month NHS General Ophthalmic Services fees from the previous year.</li></ul><p> </p><p>Medical practices may also benefit from the range of economic support measures the Government has announced. The Business Support website provides further information about how businesses can access the support that has been made available, who is eligible, when the schemes open and how to apply - <a href="https://www.businesssupport.gov.uk/coronavirus-business-support" target="_blank">https://www.businesssupport.gov.uk/coronavirus-business-support</a>.</p><p> </p><p>Most commercial insurance policies are unlikely to offer cover for unspecified notifiable diseases, such as COVID-19. However, those businesses which have an insurance policy that covers both pandemics and government ordered closure, should be able to make a claim – subject to the terms and conditions of their policy. Insurance policies differ significantly, so businesses are encouraged to check the terms and conditions of their specific policy and contact their providers.</p><p> </p><p>Income from dividends is a return on investment in the company, rather than wages. HMRC are not able to distinguish between dividends derived from an individual’s own company and dividends from other sources, so do not have a clear mechanism through which to support dividend income from an individual’s own company, without also supporting dividend income from other investments. Company directors who pay themselves a salary through a PAYE scheme may be eligible for the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS).</p> answering member constituency North East Cambridgeshire answering member printed Steve Barclay question first answered 12/05/2020 13:28:45 answering member 4095 label Biography information for Steve Barclay
tabling member	54 label Biography information for Sir Julian Lewis

1192653

registered interest
date	04/05/2020
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Small Businesses: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what (a) grants and (b) other support, apart from the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, he plans to make available to medium-size businesses which are (a) run from home, (b) not being paid for their services during the covid-19 outbreak and (c) required to pay their suppliers in advance; and what guidance he plans to issue to banks that are awarding loans under the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme on flexibility in administering that scheme for businesses that are under financial pressure as a result of the covid-19 outbreak.
tabling member constituency	New Forest East
tabling member printed	Dr Julian Lewis
uin	42863
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/05/2020 answer text <p>The Local Authority grants schemes have been designed to ensure that payments are made quickly and efficiently to small businesses facing particularly high fixed-property costs. Businesses which are not eligible for the grants may benefit from other measures in the Government’s unprecedented package of support for business, including:</p><p> </p><ul><li>The Self-Employed Income Support Scheme (SEISS)</li><li>The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS)</li><li>The Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS)</li><li>The Bounce Back Loan Scheme (BBL) for small and micro enterprises</li><li>VAT deferral for up to 12 months</li><li>The Time To Pay scheme, through which businesses and self-employed individuals in financial distress, and with outstanding tax liabilities, can receive support with their tax affairs</li><li>A three-month mortgage holiday</li></ul><p> </p><p>On 3 April the Government extended CBILS so that all viable small businesses affected by COVID-19, and not just those viable businesses unable to secure regular commercial financing, will now be eligible if the lender believes they will need finance to see them through these unprecedented times. This exceptional support is designed to enable all long-term viable businesses experiencing difficulties as a result of the coronavirus outbreak to access finance.</p><p> </p><p>The Government has also removed the forward-looking viability test, that required an assessment of whether the business can trade out of the crisis, and the per lender portfolio cap, to give lenders the full 80% guarantee across all CBILS lending. Finally, no lender can take a personal guarantee for a loan of less than £250,000. For loans over the value of £250,000, a personal guarantee can only be taken for 20% of the outstanding balance. However, a lender is not allowed to take a personal guarantee against a borrower's principle residence under the scheme.</p> answering member constituency Saffron Walden answering member printed Kemi Badenoch question first answered 11/05/2020 11:04:35 answering member 4597 label Biography information for Kemi Badenoch
tabling member	54 label Biography information for Sir Julian Lewis

1192711

registered interest
date	04/05/2020
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Small Businesses: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps the Government is taking to protect small business owners that have given personal guarantees to (a) landlords and (b) other creditors but are unable to trade during the covid-19 outbreak.
tabling member constituency	Richmond Park
tabling member printed	Sarah Olney
uin	43114
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/05/2020 answer text <p>If there are issues with paying rent, businesses should speak to their landlord about options for reprofiling or securing discounts. The Government has passed legislation that means that commercial leases are not automatically forfeited for non-payment of rent. This means that for all types of commercial tenants, the right of automatic forfeiture could not be put into effect for the relevant period. The relevant period is until 30th June, with an option for the Government to extend if needed.</p><p>This change will support commercial tenants facing eviction because of an inability to pay rent by delaying the date from which a commercial tenancy may be forfeited for non-payment of rent. Businesses having trouble making other debt repayments should speak to their lenders at the earliest possible opportunity.</p><p> </p><p>Businesses impacted by COVID-19 may also benefit from a range of other support measures including:</p><ul><li>A 12-month business rates holiday for all eligible retail, leisure and hospitality businesses in England</li><li>Small business grant funding of £10,000 for all business in receipt of small business rate relief or rural rate relief</li><li>A Discretionary Grant Fund for Local Authorities in England to make grants payments to businesses not eligible for the above schemes</li><li>The Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS)</li><li>The Bounce Back Loan Scheme (BBL) for small and micro enterprises</li><li>VAT deferral for up to 12 months</li><li>The Time To Pay scheme, through which businesses and self-employed individuals in financial distress, and with outstanding tax liabilities, can receive support with their tax affairs</li></ul><p> </p><p>The Business Support website provides further information about how businesses can access the support that has been made available, who is eligible, when the schemes open and how to apply - <a href="https://www.businesssupport.gov.uk/coronavirus-business-support" target="_blank">https://www.businesssupport.gov.uk/coronavirus-business-support</a>.</p> answering member constituency Saffron Walden answering member printed Kemi Badenoch question first answered 11/05/2020 08:06:53 answering member 4597 label Biography information for Kemi Badenoch
tabling member	4591 label Biography information for Sarah Olney

1192784

registered interest
date	04/05/2020
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Small Businesses: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, when he plans to inform local authorities of the amount they will receive from the Government for Small Business Relief Grants, including business not in receipt of Small Business Rate Relief.
tabling member constituency	Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle
tabling member printed	Emma Hardy
uin	43140
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/05/2020 answer text <p>The Small Business Grants Fund and the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grants Fund are grants schemes funded by the Government and operated by Local Authorities to support small businesses during the Covid-19 crisis. Following a small cash advance in the final week of March, the Government transferred the remainder of the £12.3 billion allocated to the two business grants schemes to Local Authorities on 1 April. Of this £12.3 billion, £7.3 billion relates to the Small Business Grants Fund. As of 4 May, Local Authorities have made over £8.6 billion of Small Business Grants and Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grants to over 697,000 business properties.</p><p> </p><p>Small businesses which have found themselves excluded from the SBGF and the RHLGF as a result of how they interact with the business rates system may be eligible for a discretionary grant from their Local Authority.</p>On 1 May the Government announced that it would be making up to £617m of additional funding available to Local Authorities to enable them to make discretionary payments of up to £25,000 to businesses in this situation. The additional funds are aimed at small businesses with ongoing fixed property-related costs, and we are particularly asking Local Authorities to prioritise businesses in shared spaces; regular market traders; small charity properties that would meet the criteria for Small Business Rates Relief; and bed and breakfasts that pay council tax rather than business rates. Local Authorities may choose to make payments to other businesses, according to local economic need. However, the priority of all the grants schemes continues to be to help the smallest businesses, and small businesses which are facing significant property-related costs and operate in sectors which have been particularly hard hit by the steep decline in customer footfall.<p> </p><p>Small businesses which are not eligible for any of the business grants schemes should still be able to benefit from other elements of the Government’s unprecedented package of support for business, including:</p><p> </p><ul><li>An option to defer VAT payments by up to twelve months;</li><li>The Bounce Back Loan scheme, which will ensure that small and micro businesses can quickly access loans of up to £50,000 which are 100% guaranteed by the Government;</li><li>The Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme, now extended to cover all businesses including those which would be able to access commercial credit;</li><li>The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, to support businesses with their wage bill;</li><li>The Self-Employment Income Support Scheme, to provide support to the self-employed.</li></ul> answering member constituency Saffron Walden answering member printed Kemi Badenoch question first answered 11/05/2020 07:21:59 answering member 4597 label Biography information for Kemi Badenoch
tabling member	4645 label Biography information for Emma Hardy

1192107

registered interest
date	01/05/2020
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Small Businesses: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will increase the Government's financial support for (a) self employed and (b) small businesses during the covid-19 lockdown.
tabling member constituency	Wokingham
tabling member printed	John Redwood
uin	41870
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/05/2020 answer text <p>On April 27 the Government announced the new Bounce Back Loans (BBL) Scheme, which will ensure that the smallest businesses can access loans in a matter of just days. These loans will be from £2,000 up to £50,000, capped at 25% of firms’ turnover. The Government will provide lenders with a 100% guarantee on each loan, to give lenders the confidence they need to support the smallest businesses in the country. The Government will cover the first 12 months of interest payments and fees charged to the business by the lender.</p><p> </p><p>Small businesses may also be able to benefit from the new Discretionary Grant Fund announced by the Government on 1 May. The Government has provided up to an additional £617m for Local Authorities in England to enable them to make grants payments to businesses which are facing high fixed property-related costs, but have been excluded from the existing grants schemes because of the way they are treated by the business rates system. Local Authorities are responsible for defining precise eligibility for these funds, and businesses will need to apply to their Local Authority in order to receive grants.</p><p> </p><p>Businesses and self-employed individuals may also benefit from a range of other support measures including:</p><ul><li>The Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS)</li><li>A 12-month business rates holiday for all eligible retail, leisure and hospitality businesses in England</li><li>Small business grant funding of £10,000 for all business in receipt of small business rate relief or rural rate relief;</li><li>The Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS)</li><li>VAT deferral for up to 12 months</li><li>The Time To Pay scheme, through which businesses and self-employed individuals in financial distress, and with outstanding tax liabilities, can receive support with their tax affairs</li><li>Protection for commercial leaseholders against automatic forfeiture for non-payment until June 30, 2020</li></ul><p> </p><p>The Business Support website provides further information about how businesses can access the support that has been made available, who is eligible, when the schemes open and how to apply - <a href="https://www.businesssupport.gov.uk/coronavirus-business-support" target="_blank">https://www.businesssupport.gov.uk/coronavirus-business-support</a>.</p> answering member constituency Saffron Walden answering member printed Kemi Badenoch question first answered 11/05/2020 07:57:49 answering member 4597 label Biography information for Kemi Badenoch
tabling member	14 label Biography information for Sir John Redwood

1190607

registered interest
date	27/04/2020
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Small Businesses: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) are excluded from the Small Business Grants Fund and Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant Fund because those SMEs have a rateable value of more than £51,000; and whether it is the Government’s policy that not all SMEs are eligible to access financial support made available in response to the covid-19 outbreak.
tabling member constituency	Brighton, Pavilion
tabling member printed	Caroline Lucas
uin	40554
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/05/2020 answer text <p>According to the VOA<ins class="ministerial"> official statistics</ins>, there are<ins class="ministerial"> around</ins> <del class="ministerial">299,000</del> <ins class="ministerial">205,000 </ins>business properties in England with a rateable value over £51,000<ins class="ministerial"> as at 31 March 2019. </ins>. Of these,<ins class="ministerial"> approximately 83,000 are identified as </ins> <del class="ministerial">116,000</del> <del class="ministerial">are</del> retail, hospitality and leisure properties<ins class="ministerial"> using VOA's administrative data source</ins>.</p><p> </p><p>The Small Business Grants Fund and the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grants Fund have been designed to support the smallest businesses, and smaller businesses in the some of the sectors which have been hit hardest by measures taken to prevent the spread of Covid-19.</p><p> </p><p>Around 1 million small and medium businesses will receive cash grants as a result of these schemes, and over £12 billion will be paid out to these businesses.</p><p> </p><p>The two schemes have been tied to the business rates system and rating assessments, which together provide a framework for Local Authorities to make payments as quickly as possible. Businesses in the business rates system are also likely to face particularly high fixed costs, such as fixed rents.</p><p> </p><p>In addition to the main grants schemes, Government has made available up to an additional £617m for Local Authorities in England to enable them to pay grants to small businesses which also face high fixed building-related costs but which are excluded from the current system due to the way they fit into the business rates system.</p><p> </p><p>Businesses which are not eligible for the grants schemes should be able to benefit from other measures in the Government’s unprecedented package of support for business, including:</p><p> </p><ul><li>An option to defer VAT payments by up to twelve months;</li><li>The Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme, now extended to cover all businesses including those which would be able to access commercial credit;</li><li>The Bounce Back Loan scheme, which will ensure that small and micro businesses can quickly access loans of up to £50,000 which are 100% guaranteed by the Government;</li><li>The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, to support businesses with their wage bills; and</li><li>The Self-Employment Income Support Scheme, to provide support to the self-employed.</li></ul><p> </p> answering member constituency Saffron Walden answering member printed Kemi Badenoch question first answered 04/05/2020 12:51:42 question first ministerially corrected 19/05/2020 17:20:45 answering member 4597 label Biography information for Kemi Badenoch previous answer version 18197 answering member constituency Saffron Walden answering member printed Kemi Badenoch answering member 4597 label Biography information for Kemi Badenoch
tabling member	3930 label Biography information for Caroline Lucas