Dr Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will take steps to ensure that wholesalers have access to the future COVID-19 Additional Relief Fund; and if he will take steps to include specific reference to wholesalers in the guidance on eligibility to qualify for relief via that fund.  [85166]

[Due for Answer on 6 December] 

ANSWER 

The Minister of State for Levelling Up Communities (Kemi Badenoch): The COVID-19 Additional Relief Fund is the £1.5 billion business rates relief scheme announced in March to provide business rates support to businesses outside the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors. The COVID-19 Additional Relief Fund will be allocated to local authorities based on the stock of properties in the area whose sectors have been affected by COVID-19 and are ineligible for existing support linked to business rates.

My Department will publish guidance to help local authorities set up their local schemes once the legislation relating to COVID-19 Material Change of Circumstances provisions has passed. This will include the eligibility criteria for the scheme and individual local authority allocations. Decisions on the award of relief will ultimately be for local authorities, having regard to the guidance.