FOI request (FOIR-319858771)

COVID Grants

Requested Fri 26 March 2021
Responded  Mon 27 September 2021

I am writing to you to ask for information under FOI Act 2000 relating to the following coronavirus grant schemes:

• Local Restrictions Support Grants (LRSG)

• Additional Restrictions Support Grant (ARG)

• Small Business Grants Fund (SBGF) - closed August 2020

• Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Business Grants Fund (RHLGF) - closed August 2020

• Local Authority Discretionary Grants Fund (LADGF) - closed August 2020

  Please provide the following information for each of the schemes above separately:

1. How much money has been issued from the start of the scheme to date and to how many businesses?

2. How much money has been assessed as obtained fraudulently and how many businesses have been involved?

3. How much of the money identified in the answer to Q2 has been recovered to date?

4. Where fraud was identified how many of those cases have been referred to the authorities to date?

5. How much has been issued in error and to how many businesses? For each please explain what the error was.

6. How much of the money issued in error identified in Q5 has been recovered to date?

7. What policy was in place to ensure that grants were not fraudulently obtained or granted in error to businesses?

Response

Please accept my apologies for the delay in responding.  The department who held the requested information where dealing with all the COVID-19 Business Grants which had to take priority over day to day duties.

Please see attached document containing the requested information.

Attachments

• FOIR-319858771_FOIR-319858771_1-FOI_319858771.docx