Question reference: S5W-32735
- Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
- Date lodged: 22 October 2020
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Current status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 6 November 2020
Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to support night-time entertainment venues that are unlikely to be able to operate for a considerable amount of time owing to COVID-19 restrictions.
Answer
Recognising the difficult situation that many nightclubs have faced in being closed since March, we announced on 27 October that we had allocated a portion of the £11 million Contingency Fund specifically to supporting businesses in this sector. Grants of up to £50,000 will be paid to nightclubs depending on their Rateable Value. Eligible businesses will receive a:
- £10,000 grant for a property from which they operate with a rateable value of £18,000 or under; or
- a £25,000 grant for a property from which they operate with a rateable value between £18,001 and £51,000; or
- a £50,000 grant for a property from which they operate with a rateable value above £51,001.
Having listened to nightclubs we have extended our eligibility criteria to enable nightclubs to receive financial assistance regardless of whether they adapted their premises and opened in a limited way for any period.
We have also set out our planned approach to business support to accompany introduction of the Strategic Framework.