Scotland is to receive £80m funding to help businesses hit by Covid restrictions amid concerns over the “eye-wateringly high” transmission of the Omicron variant.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak has unveiled details of a £1bn rescue package for the hospitality and leisure sectors following days of urgent lobbying from MPs, firms and industry officials.
The devolved administrations will receive around £150 million of funding through the Barnett formula as part of the support announced.
This includes around £80 million for the Scottish Government, £50 million for the Welsh Government and £25 million for the Northern Ireland Executive.
READ MORE: Sunak cuts short US trip as calls grow for Treasury help with Omicron
Mr Sunak’s announcement follows crisis talks with business leaders after he cut short a Government business trip to California.
Businesses have seen takings plummet due to Christmas festivities being scaled back amid fear over the spread of Omicron.
It comes as Sir Jeremy Farrar, director of the global charitable foundation Wellcome, warned “we’re in the most difficult, most uncertain time, perhaps of the whole pandemic, certainly since March of 2020”.
Paul Hunter, Professor in Medicine at the University of East Anglia (UEA), also said the previous rapid increase in cases appears to be slowing and, if that is true, there is no need for a lockdown.
(PA Graphics)
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said of the new funding: “With the surge in Omicron cases, people are rightly exercising more caution as they go about their lives, which is impacting our hospitality, leisure and cultural sectors at what is typically the busiest time of the year.
“That’s why we’re taking immediate action to help with an extra £1 billion in grants to these industries and reintroducing our Statutory Sick Pay Rebate Scheme.
“I urge people across the country to please get boosted now to secure vital protection for yourselves, your loved ones and your communities.”
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Mr Sunak added: “We recognise that the spread of the Omicron variant means businesses in the hospitality and leisure sectors are facing huge uncertainty, at a crucial time.
“So we’re stepping in with £1 billion of support, including a new grant scheme, the reintroduction of the Statutory Sick Pay Rebate Scheme and further funding released through the culture recovery fund.”
The extra support builds on existing schemes in place to assist businesses, the Treasury said.
(PA Graphics)
UK Hospitality chief executive Kate Nicholls said: “This is a generous package building on existing hospitality support measures to provide an immediate emergency cash injection for those businesses who, through no fault of their own, have seen their most valuable trading period annihilated.
“It will help to secure jobs and business viability in the short term, particularly among small businesses in the sector, and we particularly welcome the boost to funds for the supply chain and event and business catering companies so badly affected by the reintroduction of work from home guidelines.”
Ms Nicholls added there is a “real urgency” to get the funding to businesses.
British Chambers of Commerce director general Shevaun Haviland said: “These measures will provide some welcome respite to many of those businesses who have been hit hardest by the latest Covid measures.”
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