Select Committee · Public Accounts Committee

Local authority administered COVID grant schemes

Status: Closed Opened: 29 Mar 2023 Closed: 18 Nov 2023 2 recommendations 25 conclusions 1 report

COVID-19 pandemic restrictions varied over time and between different parts of the country, but all had an impact on businesses, many of which were forced to temporarily close or curtail their operations. The government announced in early March 2020 that it would provide grants, administered by local authorities, to support smaller businesses in England. The …

Clear

Reports

1 report
Title HC No. Published Items Response
Sixty-Eighth Report - Local authority administered COVID su… HC 1234 6 Sep 2023 27 Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

1 item
16 Conclusion Sixty-Eighth Report - Local authority a… Accepted in Part

Underinvestment in local authority IT infrastructure caused system shortcomings and payment errors.

Another source of error acknowledged by HM Treasury was that not every authority had automated systems in place from the start that could prevent duplicate payments. Many local authorities were relying on data and systems which could not be used to easily identify which businesses were eligible for grants. Local …

Government response. The government accepts the recommendation with a target implementation date of Spring 2024, committing to account for evaluation findings and anticipated guidance when planning future schemes and contingencies. It will also enhance understanding of local government system capabilities through collaborative …
HM Treasury

Oral evidence sessions

1 session
Date Witnesses
11 May 2023 Anastasia Osbourne · Department for Business and Trade, David Bickerton · Department for Business and Trade, Gareth Davies CB · Department for Business and Trade, Phil Duffy · HM Treasury View ↗

Correspondence

2 letters
DateDirectionTitle
12 Jun 2023 Correspondence from Gareth Davies, Permanent Secretary, Department for Business…
24 May 2023 Correspondence from Philip Duffy, Director General, Growth and Productivity, HM…