Support for suffering sectors announced
Some hospitality business will be able to claim a grant of up to £3,000 as part of a new package of funding for struggling sectors available in the new year unveiled by Scotland’ s finance secretary yesterday.
The funding of £185 million was announced by Kate Forbes, with £60m going to the tourism industry , including for self- catering accommodation providers, and £19m in one-off grants for taxi drivers.
Stating she had listened to businesses requesting more support, Ms Forbes said the funding package would be “appropriately targeted” on a sector-by-sector basis and was “as effective as possible”.
A total of £15m will be made available for the wedding sector with£5m for travel agents and £6m available for coach companies and tour operators.
One-off grants totalling £15m will be provided for mobile close contact services such as hairdressers and £1.5m will be made available to visitor attractions.
Ms Forbes said the minister for sport and public health, Joe Fitzpatrick, would provide details of support for spectator sports and football clubs in a statement today.
The finance secretary added a grant fund w or th£30m would be available to hospitality in January with grants ranging from £2,000 to £3,000, with £1.5m also available for travelling showpeople.
Scottish Cons ervative’s finance spokesman Murdo Fraser said the announcement was “too little, too late”.
He said :“Businesses have their backs up against the wall and need access to the additional grants right now. They can’t wait until January with countless jobs and livelihoods on the line.”
The Federation of Small Business Scotland’ s policy chair, Andrew MCR ae, said the funding would close some “yawning gaps” and was glad “ministers have seen the light”.
He said: “However, we’re now left with a myriad of schemes at various stages of deliver y, with much of the cash unlikely to reach firms until the new year.
"In the future, we need to see p olicymakers in Edinburgh deliver help for local bu sinesses at the same pace as they implement restrictions on the economy.”
Marc Crothall, chief exec - utive of the Scottish Tourism Alliance, welcomed the announcement, but said much of the industry was operating “mostly in an unviable, unsustainable manner”.
He said :“Our industry has been left in limbo for an unacceptable period of time with no clear or helpful indication of when support will land, forcing many business owners into temporary and permanent closure to stem the dai
ly haemorrhage of outgoings, which are required to remain even partially operational during this period of restrictions.
“Despite the announcement of a total package of support, I know there will be wide
spread disappointment and frustration from many across the industry that the detail on what level of funding businesses can expect to receive, how these funds will be distributed and when, was not made clear
in today’s statement.”
The Association of Scottish Self-caterers claimed £265m had been lost in the sector due to Covid-19 restrictions.