The Government will reply as quickly as possible.
1 billion Business Support Fund Opens - 24.03.2020
- https://www.gov.scot/news/gbp-1-billion-business-support-fund-opens/
"Small businesses in receipt of the small business bonus scheme or rural relief, as well as hospitality, leisure and retail business can benefit.
Two types of grant are now available to ratepayers:
• a one-off £10,000 grant to ratepayers of small businesses
• a one-off grant of £25,000 available to retail, hospitality and leisure business ratepayers with a rateable value between £18,001 and £50,999
The list is not exhaustive and if businesses think they may be eligible for one of these grants, they should contact their local authority, which are administering the scheme on behalf of the Scottish Government."
Read more here.
Call for action to help self-employed - 24.03.2020
https://www.gov.scot/news/call-for-action-to-help-self-employed/
Economy Secretary Fiona Hyslop and Finance Secretary Kate Forbes have written to Chancellor Rishi Sunak calling for the Jobs Retention Scheme he announced last week to be expanded to include the self-employed.
They also appealed for a change in the rules to enable more people to access statutory sick pay.
Effective ‘lockdown’ to be introduced 23/03/2020
- https://www.gov.scot/news/effective-lockdown-to-be-introduced/
"The First Minister reiterated guidance of the Scottish Government for people to stay home and only venture outside when absolutely necessary. In line with existing advice, non-essential retail units are now required to close and shopping for basic necessities kept to a minimum."
First Minister COVID-19 update 22/03/2020
- https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-update-first-ministers-speech-22-march-2020/
“Don’t go shopping except for essentials like food and medicine – and when you do please keep a safe distance of 2 meters from others.
Shops that have to remain open should be ensuring responsible social distancing.”
“To businesses, please follow the rules and support your employees to do so too.
Unprecedented support is rightly being made available to you to ensure that wages can still be paid even if your employees are not at work.
You should not be asking people to come to work if they have symptoms or if they’re in a household with someone with symptoms.
And you should be supporting people to work at home wherever possible.”
First Minister COVID-19 update 20/03/2020
- https://www.gov.scot/publications/first-minister-covid-19-update/
“There is disruption for businesses right now across the economy. This is an unimaginably difficult time for businesses and for employers and for those that work across our economy.
My message to businesses large and small is that we know this is difficult, we know times are hard, are we will do everything we can to help you.
Earlier this morning I chaired a Cabinet Sub-Committee of my Economy Ministers to discuss the Government’s economic response.
We have already made £2.2 billion available through business rates support and grants.
In the coming days and weeks we will be expanding what is called our PACE system which helps those who become unemployed into alternative jobs. We know that there are sectors right now, the supermarket sector, that are expanding and seeking to employ more workers.
We will also use our procurement systems and government contracts to keep financial support flowing to companies, and we will be asking local government to do the same…
More help is also needed for those who are self-employed or on temporary or zero hours contracts who might not get the full benefit of other UK measures if support is provided through tax or national insurance systems alone.
And as we do everything we can to help business, and we are determined to do that, business also has a role to play in helping us to take on the challenge of this virus.
So I asking businesses to treat your workers fairly and to respect the health advice.
Do not make your employees come to work when the health advice says they should be in isolation, and don’t make them come to work when they can work safely at home.
Everyone, of course, thinks their staff should be defined as key workers – I understand that and some, of course, will be right. But if your staff can work from home then you should let them do that.
Finally, I want to thank the vast majority of people who have been sensible in their shopping habits this week – and also to the supermarkets who have taken steps to ensure that supplies get to those who need them, particularly the more vulnerable members of our communities.
I know that some people have felt the need to stockpile certain items – but my clear advice is do not do that. There is no need to do that.
If everyone remains sensible in their shopping, then there is more than enough to go round. Supermarkets and pharmacies will remain open and supplies will continue to get them.
And while it is tempting to get everything from the supermarket – your support for local businesses at this time can also be a lifeline to them.”
18.03.2020 – £2.2 billion for business
- gov.scot/news/gbp-2-2-billion-for-business/
Economy Secretary Fiona Hyslop has addressed the Scottish Parliament on the economic impact of COVID-19 in Scotland.
In her statement she warned that as a result of coronavirus, the Scottish economy is facing an immediate collapse in demand.
She outlined the actions being taken by the Scottish Government to support businesses including a package of measures worth £2.2 billion from 1 April:
- a full year’s 100% non-domestic rates relief for retail, hospitality and tourism
- £10,000 grants for small businesses in receipt of the Small Business Bonus Scheme or Rural Relief
- £25,000 grants for hospitality, leisure and retail properties with a rateable value between £18,000 and £51,000
- 1.6% relief for all properties, effectively freezing the poundage rate next year
- First Minister to convene an emergency meeting of the Financial Services Advisory Board
- urging local authorities to relax planning rules to allow pubs and restaurants to operate temporarily as takeaways
- extending the go live date for the deposit return scheme to July 2022
- halting the introduction of the Visitor Levy Bill
Background
The £2.2 billion package of support for business supersedes the £320 million package announced on 14 March and includes an additional £1.9 billion of increased support following the Chancellor’s announcement on 17 March.