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1192485

registered interest
date	04/05/2020
answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept id	201
answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
hansard heading	Small Business Grants Fund: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	Whether the Government has made an estimate of the number of businesses that do not qualify for the Government’s covid-19 grant schemes.
tabling member constituency	Nottingham North
tabling member printed	Alex Norris
uin	902140
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/05/2020 answer text <p>Local Authorities are responsible for identifying and contacting eligible businesses for either the Small Business Grants or the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grants. No assessment has been made of the number of businesses not qualifying for the schemes; rather we estimate about 1 million businesses will benefit.</p><p> </p><p>I am personally calling local authorities that have reported slow progress to offer any support they need to get grants out to businesses as soon as possible.</p> answering member constituency Sutton and Cheam answering member printed Paul Scully question first answered 04/05/2020 15:52:33 answering member 4414 label Biography information for Paul Scully
tabling member	4641 label Biography information for Alex Norris

1192486

registered interest
date	04/05/2020
answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept id	201
answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
hansard heading	Self-employed: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	What estimate he has made of the number of self-employed people who do not qualify for covid-19 support.
tabling member constituency	Nottingham South
tabling member printed	Lilian Greenwood
uin	902141
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/05/2020 answer text <p>We have prioritised helping the greatest number of people as quickly as possible and it is difficult to come up with reliable criteria that apply to all the relevant sectors of the economy. We are aware some people will not be eligible for the scheme, but they may still benefit from a number of other support schemes available.</p><p> </p><p>The Department is engaging a wide range of stakeholders in relation to Covid-19, and in addition to the Business Secretary’s regular meeting with business representative organisations, I recently hosted a call with stakeholders on support for the self-employed and will continue to engage on the issue.</p> answering member constituency Sutton and Cheam answering member printed Paul Scully grouped question UIN 902142 902174 question first answered 04/05/2020 15:52:46 answering member 4414 label Biography information for Paul Scully
tabling member	4029 label Biography information for Lilian Greenwood

1192487

registered interest
date	04/05/2020
answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept id	201
answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
hansard heading	Self-employed: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	What estimate he has made of the number of self-employed people who do not qualify for covid-19 support.
tabling member constituency	Bolton South East
tabling member printed	Yasmin Qureshi
uin	902142
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/05/2020 answer text <p>We have prioritised helping the greatest number of people as quickly as possible and it is difficult to come up with reliable criteria that apply to all the relevant sectors of the economy. We are aware some people will not be eligible for the scheme, but they may still benefit from a number of other support schemes available.</p><p> </p><p>The Department is engaging a wide range of stakeholders in relation to Covid-19, and in addition to the Business Secretary’s regular meeting with business representative organisations, I recently hosted a call with stakeholders on support for the self-employed and will continue to engage on the issue.</p> answering member constituency Sutton and Cheam answering member printed Paul Scully grouped question UIN 902141 902174 question first answered 04/05/2020 15:52:46 answering member 4414 label Biography information for Paul Scully
tabling member	3924 label Biography information for Yasmin Qureshi

1192488

registered interest
date	04/05/2020
answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept id	201
answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
hansard heading	Self-employment Income Support Scheme
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	If he will seek representations from self-employed workers on the effectiveness of the Self-employment Income Support Scheme.
tabling member constituency	Brighton, Pavilion
tabling member printed	Caroline Lucas
uin	902174
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/05/2020 answer text <p>We have prioritised helping the greatest number of people as quickly as possible and it is difficult to come up with reliable criteria that apply to all the relevant sectors of the economy. We are aware some people will not be eligible for the scheme, but they may still benefit from a number of other support schemes available.</p><p> </p><p>The Department is engaging a wide range of stakeholders in relation to Covid-19, and in addition to the Business Secretary’s regular meeting with business representative organisations, I recently hosted a call with stakeholders on support for the self-employed and will continue to engage on the issue.</p> answering member constituency Sutton and Cheam answering member printed Paul Scully grouped question UIN 902141 902142 question first answered 04/05/2020 15:52:46 answering member 4414 label Biography information for Paul Scully
tabling member	3930 label Biography information for Caroline Lucas

1192080

registered interest
date	01/05/2020
answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept id	201
answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
hansard heading	Business Rates
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of expanding the (a) Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant Fund and (b) Small Business Grants Fund so that businesses that pay business rates through their rent can directly benefit.
tabling member constituency	Wimbledon
tabling member printed	Stephen Hammond
uin	41939
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/05/2020 answer text <p>Businesses are eligible for the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant Fund if they are based in England with a property that has a rateable value of up to £51,000 and is wholly or mainly being used for the purposes of retail, hospitality and/or leisure. The Small Business Grant Fund is available to businesses with a property that on the 11 March 2020 were eligible for Small Business Rate Relief Scheme or Rural Rate Relief Scheme.</p><p> </p><p>The Government has announced an additional discretionary fund to support small businesses that fall outside the scope of the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grants Fund and the Small Business Grants Fund, including those in shared spaces who do not have their own business rates assessment, which have under 50 employees and have seen a significant drop of income due to Coronavirus restriction measures.</p> answering member constituency Sutton and Cheam answering member printed Paul Scully question first answered 06/05/2020 16:00:32 answering member 4414 label Biography information for Paul Scully
tabling member	1585 label Biography information for Stephen Hammond

1192091

registered interest
date	01/05/2020
answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept id	201
answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
hansard heading	Postal Services: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions he he had with representatives of Royal Mail prior to the announcement by that organisation of the temporary suspension of Saturday deliveries during the covid-19 outbreak.
tabling member constituency	Rother Valley
tabling member printed	Alexander Stafford
uin	42225
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/05/2020 answer text <p>The Universal Service Obligation is set out in the Postal Services Act 2011.</p><p> </p><p>Ministers have no role in temporary changes to the service level. The regulatory conditions that require Royal Mail to deliver letters 6 days a week as part of the universal postal service also provide that Royal Mail is not required to sustain these services without interruption, suspension or restriction in the event of an emergency. Ofcom has acknowledged in this context that the COVID-19 pandemic is an emergency.</p><p> </p><p>There is a clear and transparent process for how longer-term changes to service standards would be considered and any changes would need to be made through secondary legislation and agreed by Parliament. Ministers and officials have regular discussions with Ofcom and Royal Mail on matters relating to postal services.</p> answering member constituency Sutton and Cheam answering member printed Paul Scully question first answered 11/05/2020 16:43:35 answering member 4414 label Biography information for Paul Scully
tabling member	4866 label Biography information for Alexander Stafford

1192098

registered interest
date	01/05/2020
answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept id	201
answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
hansard heading	Postal Services: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what information his Department holds on whether the Royal Mail's Saturday delivery service will resume after the end of the covid-19 outbreak.
tabling member constituency	Rother Valley
tabling member printed	Alexander Stafford
uin	42226
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/05/2020 answer text <p>The Universal Service Obligation is set out in the Postal Services Act 2011.</p><p> </p><p>Ministers have no role in temporary changes to the service level. The regulatory conditions that require Royal Mail to deliver letters 6 days a week as part of the universal postal service also provide that Royal Mail is not required to sustain these services without interruption, suspension or restriction in the event of an emergency. Ofcom has acknowledged in this context that the COVID-19 pandemic is an emergency.</p><p> </p><p>There is a clear and transparent process for how longer-term changes to service standards would be considered and any changes would need to be made through secondary legislation and agreed by Parliament. Royal Mail has announced that its Saturday letters delivery service will resume from 13 June.</p> answering member constituency Sutton and Cheam answering member printed Paul Scully question first answered 12/05/2020 09:24:12 answering member 4414 label Biography information for Paul Scully
tabling member	4866 label Biography information for Alexander Stafford

1192104

registered interest
date	01/05/2020
answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept id	201
answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
hansard heading	Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what guidance his Department has issued to lenders on the reasons for rejecting applications for a loan under the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme.
tabling member constituency	Midlothian
tabling member printed	Owen Thompson
uin	42113
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/05/2020 answer text <p>The British Business Bank has issued guidance to all accredited lenders on assessing eligibility for the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS).</p><p> </p><p>You are eligible for the scheme if:</p><ul><li>Your business’s activity is UK-based, with turnover of no more than £45 million per year;</li><li>You have a borrowing proposal which, were it not for the current pandemic, would be considered viable by the lender; and</li><li>You can self-certify that your business has been adversely impacted by the Coronavirus (COVID-19).</li></ul><p> </p><p>For facilities above £30k, lenders are required to gain comfort that a SME is not an ‘Undertaking in Difficulty’, but this includes the option for lenders to rely on self-certification.</p><p> </p><p>Decision-making on whether a business is eligible to access the CBILS is fully delegated to accredited lenders, using the guidance above, and individual lending decisions remain at the discretion of these lenders.</p><p> </p><p>The Secretary of State continues to hold a regular dialogue with each of the biggest CBILS lenders to monitor its implementation and ensure that companies receive the full benefits of the support being provided.</p><p> </p><p>The new Bounce Back Loans Scheme launched on May 4 to help the smallest SMEs to access loans from £2000 up to 25% of a business’ turnover, with maximum loan amount of £50,000. To apply for the scheme businesses will be able to complete a short, simple, online application form, meaning that applications can be submitted and processed rapidly and businesses can access loans within a matter of days. The Government will provide lenders with a 100% guarantee on each loan to give them the confidence they need to support the smallest businesses in the country.</p> answering member constituency Sutton and Cheam answering member printed Paul Scully question first answered 06/05/2020 16:54:07 answering member 4414 label Biography information for Paul Scully
tabling member	4482 label Biography information for Owen Thompson

1192138

registered interest
date	01/05/2020
answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept id	201
answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
hansard heading	Aluminium: Industry
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps have been taken to support the aluminium industry during the covid-19 outbreak.
tabling member constituency	East Antrim
tabling member printed	Sammy Wilson
uin	42255
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/05/2020 answer text <p>The Government is in regular contact with the aluminium industry; I recently spoke to representatives of the Aluminium Federation alongside other industry leaders to discuss the impact of COVID-19.</p><p> </p><p>The Government recognises that it is crucial for the aluminium sector to continue providing essential materials to support the economy, and I am grateful to those working in the industry for their contributions to the national effort during this time of extraordinary disruption.</p><p> </p><p>We have put in place an unprecedented package of Government support to help with business continuity and to give manufacturers - including businesses in the aluminium sector - the support they need.</p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi question first answered 12/05/2020 15:12:47 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
tabling member	1593 label Biography information for Sammy Wilson

1192140

registered interest
date	01/05/2020
answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept id	201
answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
hansard heading	Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps have been taken to enable the aluminium industry to access the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme.
tabling member constituency	East Antrim
tabling member printed	Sammy Wilson
uin	42241
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/05/2020 answer text <p>The Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) is open to eligible businesses with annual turnover of under £45m operating in most sectors, including the aluminium industry.</p><p> </p><p>To be eligible for the CBILS, businesses must:</p><ul><li>be UK-based in their business activity, with turnover of no more than £45 million per year;</li><li>have a borrowing proposal which, were it not for the current pandemic, would be considered viable by the lender; and</li><li>self-certify that they have been adversely impacted by the Coronavirus (Covid-19).</li></ul><p> </p><p>For more information on the scheme, businesses should visit the British Business Bank website: <a href="http://www.british-business-bank.co.uk/ourpartners/coronavirus-business-interruption-loan-schemes/clbils/" target="_blank">www.british-business-bank.co.uk/ourpartners/coronavirus-business-interruption-loan-schemes/clbils/</a></p><p> </p><p>The Government has responded to feedback to ensure that companies feel the full benefits of available support through the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) by:</p><ul><li>Extending the scheme so that all viable small businesses affected by Covid-19;</li><li>Removing previous restrictions on the following groups to enable them to access the CBILS, subject to other eligibility criteria being met: Employer, professional, religious or political membership organisations and trade unions;</li><li>Removing the ability for lenders to ask for personal guarantees for loans under £250,000, and reducing the personal guarantee for loans over £250,000 to 20% of the outstanding balance after recoveries;</li><li>Introducing technical changes to ensure that applications will be processed faster;</li><li>Removing the forward-looking viability test; and</li><li>Removing the per lender portfolio cap.</li></ul><p> </p><p>The Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CLBILS) facilitates access to finance for medium-sized and larger businesses with annual turnover of above £45 million, affected by the Coronavirus outbreak. This is also open to eligible businesses operating in most sectors, including the aluminium industry.</p><p> </p><p>The Government will continue to monitor the schemes.</p> answering member constituency Sutton and Cheam answering member printed Paul Scully question first answered 12/05/2020 09:27:06 answering member 4414 label Biography information for Paul Scully
tabling member	1593 label Biography information for Sammy Wilson