Scottish government funding provided to Scottish businesses: FOI release

Information requested

1. Please can you confirm the total amount of money the Scottish Government have received from the UK Government. 

2. The amount of money that has been distributed to Scottish business in grant support. 

Response

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance we are unable to provide some of the information you have requested as an exemption applies under section 25(1) of FOISA because it is otherwise accessible and can be obtained without making a request for it. This exemption is not subject to the ‘public interest test’, so we are not required to consider if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exemption.

1.  On 23 July 2020 the Chief Secretary to the Treasury confirmed a minimum allocation of Covid-19 resource funding for the Scottish Government of £6.5 billion, this was subsequently increased in August, November and December as circumstances changed to a final total of £8.6 billion. Confirmation of this funding is expected in the forthcoming UK Supplementary Estimate.

2.  The Scottish Government publishes statistics on grant funding provided to businesses via our website. Details on how much money has been distributed through various Covid-19 business support funding schemes are updated regularly and can be found on the Scottish Government website at the links provided below:

• Support for taxi and private hire drivers - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)
• Update to taxi grant criteria - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)
• Supporting the wedding sector - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)
• More than £55 million paid in business support - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)
• https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-business-support-fund-grant-statistics/
• Coronavirus (COVID-19) Strategic Framework: business support funding statistics – 15 January 2021 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)
•  https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-scottish-government-covid-19-business-support-management-information/
•  Coronavirus (COVID-19) - business support funding: statistics (circuit breaker) - 18 December 2020 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)
• Coronavirus (COVID-19) Strategic Framework: business support funding statistics - 18 December 2020 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)
• https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-business-support-fund-grant-statistics/

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at http://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.