Question reference: S5W-33047
- Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
- Date lodged: 5 November 2020
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Current status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 19 November 2020
Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether there is a fixed allowance for the Business Contingency Fund.
Answer
We committed £11 million to the Contingency Fund when it was announced as part of the COVID-19 Restrictions Fund. A first phase of awards through this fund was announced on 27 October which provided grants of up to £50,000 for nightclubs and soft play centres in recognition of the fact that, prior to the Strategic Framework coming into force, had been closed since March. The Contingency Fund has proven itself to be an effective mechanism for targeting funding towards these sectors.
In recognition of the changing nature of the pandemic and the variable impact of restrictions on different sectors we keep all of our funds under review to ensure that we can target financial support appropriately. This is of course contingent, however, on the Scottish Government having access to the funding that it requires to support businesses.