Question reference: S5W-34869
- Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
- Date lodged: 29 January 2021 Registered interest
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Current status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 16 February 2021
Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the proposed increase in discretionary funding for local authorities in its recent Budget, when the new funding will be received by local authorities, and what the earliest date is on which businesses will receive the new uplift.
Answer
At the Finance and Constitution Committee on 9 February I announced a further £60 million in funding for the Local Authority Discretionary Fund. Alongside the additional £30 million I announced in my Budget Statement this means we have now quadrupled the financial support available to businesses through this fund significantly increasing the capacity of Councils to direct funding towards businesses based on the specific challenges being experienced in their local economies and business communities. We are working closely with CoSLA to agree a fair and equitable distribution of this funding to local authorities. They are considering our proposal, and soon as they have agreed the allocation formally we will issue grant offer letters to individual councils.