Fergus Ewing: The Scottish Government will continue to engage with the business community, local authorities and others on the scale and effectiveness of United Kingdom Government financial assistance schemes in order to ensure that they are delivering for businesses in Scotland. We will seek to rectify gaps in those schemes, where possible. We continue to monitor the funds that are available to support...
Fergus Ewing: I think that there were three questions there. On 9 December, Kate Forbes announced a further package of £185 million and, at the same time, indicated that, in respect of tourism specifically, an additional £60 million is being provided in that, details of which are being developed in consultation with the industry. Those details will be announced shortly. In respect of larger businesses,...
Fergus Ewing: VisitScotland has worked up several marketing plans. Jamie Halcro Johnston, whom I welcome to his new responsibilities, will appreciate that the right time for marketing will be once the restrictions are clear. There is no point in marketing now when people cannot take a holiday, because that would be a waste of money. However, I assure him that a lot of thought has gone into that by...
Fergus Ewing: The impact on food and drink wholesalers has been severe, particularly for those that sell to the hospitality sector and the on-licence trade. Those wholesalers lost most of their business overnight. Many food and drink wholesalers are also vital in terms of supplies to remote islands. That is why we have announced support through a £5 million fund that is targeted at wholesalers that sell...
Fergus Ewing: Our Colin Smyth—if I can continue on nomenclature—raises a very fair point. Timing is of the essence. Therefore—to be serious—I say that we are determined to get all the funding in the various packages out as quickly as possible. Plainly, the schemes have to be administered carefully to avoid inappropriate payments, but local authorities are doing a power of work to assist us in that...
Fergus Ewing: Hotels across Scotland have been severely impacted, which is why we established the dedicated hotel support programme, with £14 million of dedicated funding. In addition, some hotels have had 100 per cent rates relief and access to grants for closed and impacted businesses. I assure Ms Baillie and other members that we are doing all that we can to support hotels with the resources that we have.
Fergus Ewing: The hotel fund, which was designed to help support the retention of around 3,000 jobs, was designed for the hotels with the largest payrolls—those with a minimum of 50 staff overall, I think. Ms Baillie is correct to say that many hotels face enormous pressures. She and I have discussed the plight of hotels in her constituency on numerous occasions. I am extremely sympathetic to that. The...
Fergus Ewing: Such discussions take place almost all the time. On Monday, we had detailed discussions with some of Scotland’s leading chefs. This morning, I had discussions with leading tourism voices in Aberdeen. I am in regular discussion with Marc Crothall of the Scottish Tourism Alliance, Fiona Campbell of the Association of Scotland’s Self-Caterers, Stephen Montgomery in respect of the hospitality...
Fergus Ewing: As I have set out on numerous occasions, I am determined to ensure that the level of support for those who farm in our upland and most challenging areas should be effectively maintained. I can reassure farmers and crofters that although the rules mean that we cannot reinstate LFASS payments to 2018 levels for 2020, eligible recipients will receive additional payments to maintain or improve...
Fergus Ewing: I listen to the NFUS almost all the time. We engage with the organisation frequently. We have maintained the level of support to hill farmers this year. The payments for 2020 will be made early next year. In addition to that, I have indicated that, for the following year, 2021, LFASS will go back to 100 per cent—the full rate. That announcement was very well received by the NFUS. I believe...
Fergus Ewing: Nobody in this chamber has a scooby about what is going to happen about Brexit in the next few days, and the real tragedy about that is that we have been arguing the case for Scotland’s farmers for the past four years. An example is our hill farmers’ sale of lamb. If they lose the European market, they will lose a very substantial proportion of their income, which will require a...
Fergus Ewing: We have provided significant support to the hospitality sector since the start of the pandemic, including 100 per cent rates relief and grants for both closed and impacted businesses at various intervals across the different periods of disruption. Our overall business support package exceeds £2.3 billion. We are doing all that we can with the powers that are at our disposal, and we continue...
Fergus Ewing: The member raises very fair points. I am acutely aware of all those points and I discuss them day in, daily with a number of businesses, as I have already alluded to. The financial support is being made available under the schemes that are being administered, and we have already announced, through my colleague Kate Forbes, £185 million-worth of support. Sarah Boyack mentioned the 6 pm...
Fergus Ewing: I am aware that B and Bs and guest houses require support. Indeed, earlier in the lockdown period, I advocated that some support be made available to them, and I secured that. There were a number of complex issues, including the fact that some of them did not have business bank accounts, and we had to seek to circumvent those matters. However, I assure the member that active consideration is...
Fergus Ewing: Glasgow is a city that is rich in culture and history, and I look forward to encouraging the return of people from all over the world to enjoy its many attractions. We have committed to provide a £2.3 billion support package for businesses, with much-needed business rates relief and tailored funds for the tourism sector. We are continuously looking at how we can increase support to ensure...
Fergus Ewing: Some of the matters that the member raised do not fall within my particular portfolio of responsibility, but we are all part of a team and this is all part of the jigsaw of tourism and hospitality that covers the establishments that Johann Lamont mentioned. We are very sympathetic to the case for reasonable support to be provided. We have announced additional resources in the past week or so....
Fergus Ewing: We are committed to the long-term recovery of tourism and the events industry in Edinburgh and across the country. We engage with the events sector through the event industry advisory group, and we have considered the tourism recovery task force recommendations as we work to ensure the return of the world-class events that take place in Edinburgh. We have acted to offer support to businesses,...
Fergus Ewing: We are in the middle of a pandemic, and we are taking measures that are designed to tackle that pandemic, which were recently vindicated and supported when they were challenged in court. We take no pleasure in doing that, but we have to. I am bound to reflect that we are not alone. Germany, Holland and England are taking measures that, if anything, might be regarded as even tighter than those...
Fergus Ewing: Hello?
Fergus Ewing: Hello?