Davidson: Sturgeon ‘failing to get money in people’s pockets’
Ni cola Sturgeon is under increasing pressure to do more to prevent mass closures of Scottish businesses as she was accused of “failing to get money into people's pockets” as stricter Covid restrictions on a swathe of businesses were announced.
The First Minister yesterday announced a further tightening of lock down in Scotland with a major impact on takeaway businesses and click and collect services.
The new six new restrictions announced by Ms Sturgeon will see takeaway food shops serving only from hatches or door ways, only retailers selling essential items able to offer click-and-collect, and trades workers only allowed in people's homes if it is essential for the upkeep, maintenance and functioning of a house.
At First Mini st er’ sQu estions, Scottish Conservative Holyrood group leader Ruth Davidson said businesses affected by the new regulations should receive extra compensation after they were “told by this government what to do to become Covid compliant, spent money making the changes required of them and now being told they have to adapt again”.
She also claimed that businesses felt“like an afterthought” and that while new funding announcements were welcome, there was a failure to get money to people.
She added :“Leaked documents show that only seven in 30 business funds have launched. FSB Scotland says funding is trapped in an administrative log jam.
“Councils want to get it [the money] out the door but they’re hearing nothing from the Scottish Government. Falkirk Council’s website lists 16 funds but asks people not to contact them about them as they've had no guidance.
“The Scottish Government is great at making announcements but not getting money delivered into people's pockets.”
Reading from a letter sent to her by a taxi driver called George, she said he wanted to know“when will the grant to taxi drivers be distributed?”
“I’m on my knees here – it's desperate stuff now,” read Ms Davidson. "We've been promised this since November but we can't find out what's happening.”
She added: “In March Kate Forbes [finance secretary] said the aim was to make payments within 10 working days – right now there are sectors out there which would be delighted to see promised cash in 10 weeks.”
However Nicola Sturgeon said there was“significant money available” with much already gone to businesses and “much more flowing to businesses over the course of this month”.
She added: “We will continue to look at ongoing basis what we can do and where there are legitimate calls for more financial support.
“Local authorities are, in the main, administering this funding.” and if you take the £715m allocated to business support since October, £600m of that is already live, the vast majority of the funds go live this month, payments are flowing to businesses and at the end of this month, businesses eligible for additional top up payments will receive those payments.”