This morning (5 January), the Chancellor Rishi Sunak MP, has unveiled a further financial package of £4.6 billion to support businesses across the UK through the latest national lockdown.
Local MP for Hastings and Rye, Sally-Ann Hart, has welcomed this move and particularly welcomed the support for the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors.
Speaking on the announcement, Sally-Ann Said “I delighted that the Chancellor has delivered another £4.6 billion to businesses across the UK. As we enter the third lockdown in England it is vital, we support our businesses through these incredibly difficult times for them. I am particularly pleased with the announcement of the top-up grants to the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors worth up to £9,000. This will really help our local economy that is so dependent on these sectors.”
In addition to the top-up grants the Chancellor has also announced £594 million in discretionary funds to be made available to support other impacted businesses. These amounts are in addition to the £1.1 billion in discretionary grant funding for Local Authorities, Local Restriction Support Grants worth up to £3,000 a month and extension of furlough scheme.
“These new financial support packages come on top of the exceptional support already available to local businesses including the furlough scheme, cuts in VAT and businesses rates. These are unprecedented times for all of us and it is right that as we ask businesses to sacrifice so much, we support them through these coming months, so they are still there for us when we open up our economy again,” said Sally-Ann.
For further information on this new financial support package please visit the Government website here https://www.gov.uk/government/news/46-billion-in-new-lockdown-grants-to-support-businesses-and-protect-jobs