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Matt Hancock signals support for increasing grant scheme
The politician was asked about businesses left out in the current scheme by David Walsh, the business editor at Sheffield’s The Star newspaper.
The Raise the Bar campaign has been pushing the Government to increase the rateable value threshold for the maximum £25,000 grant from a cap of £51,000 to £150,000.
He said he would have to raise the idea of extending the scheme with the Chancellor at yesterday’s daily press briefing on the coronavirus epidemic (Monday 27 April).
Hard hit
Walsh also asked if the Government would initiate publican and brewers’ calls for a cancellation of beer duty for six months.
In response to the journalist, Hancock said: “I understand, especially coming from a small business background myself just how important these questions are to the businesses in the centre of Sheffield and to the breweries that have, as you say, been flourishing right across the country over the past few years.
“[They] have obviously been very hard hit by social distancing, by its nature that takes away the ability to go for a pint with friends.
“So I will take these away and talk to the Chancellor about them.”
Beer duty payments were due on 25 April for beer produced in March and were not deferred by the Government despite calls from trade bodies, including the British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA).
It has also said it would not defer duty for the next quarter (April-June), a total payment of £750m.
Health benefit
At the briefing, Hancock added: “Supporting businesses through [Covid-19] is critical because both the health impact of the measures and the economic impact are both best served by people staying at home because that saves lives.
“We want to get through this as soon as possible and we want to support businesses on the way through and, [of] those two specific ideas, it’s tempting to say ‘yes’ as Health Secretary but I think I need to talk to the Chancellor.”
More than 20% of pubs are thought to have been left with no grant money for having too high rateable values, according to analysis from the Altus Group.
