Covid-19 pandemic funding breakdown: FOI release

Information requested

The total amount of financial help which has come to Scotland from Westminster and other areas of funding, through the Covid-19 pandemic; Where this has been spent, sector specific, and to what areas for example self catering, Bed & breakfasts, and licensed premises; How much in the hospitality sector has been given to those with a rateable value over £51k; and also how much is still unallocated.

Response

I enclose a copy of some of the information you requested.

To date, the Scottish Government has been allocated just over £3.7 billion of additional funding from the UK government and has announced a series of measures to support the Covid response in Scotland. These include the initial allocation of £620 million in funding for Health and Social Care, £2.3 billion to help businesses, over £300 million of direct support to Local Government and £360 million for transport measures.

Further details of funding for the initial series of commitments made by the Scottish Government have been provided in the Summer Budget Revision document which was published on the 27th of May.

The Summer Budget Revision document can be found at the following link:
https://www.gov.scot/publications/2020-21-summer-budget-revision/

As you will appreciate the Summer Budget Revision is necessarily a snapshot of the position at that time and this is a continually evolving picture. Additional details on the ongoing allocation of funding for the response to the Covid 19 emergency will be set in additional budget revisions later in the year. 

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance we are unable to provide the rest of the information you have requested because it is currently being developed for publication. 

Our intention is to publish a breakdown of awards for the Pivotal Enterprises Resilience Fund and Creative, Tourism and Hospitality Enterprises Hardship Fund in the coming weeks, which will include sectoral data using recognised sector classifications In addition, we are looking to publish the Newly Self Employed Hardship Fund in a similar timeframe, which will report on applications received, grants awarded and amount awarded and broken down by Local Authority. Both of these publications will be found on gov.scot once released.

We have therefore applied an exemption under section s.27(1) (intention to publish) of FOISA applies to this element of your request. While we recognise the public interest in release of this information as it relates to the use of public funds and the support of businesses, this is outweighed by the necessity of publishing accurate figures, which will not be possible until the reconciliation process being undertaken prior to publication of the aforementioned documents is complete.

 

 

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