To ask the Minister of Finance whether Sports Club eligibility for the Localised Restrictions Support Scheme is still under review; and when a decision will be made.

The Localised Restrictions Support Scheme (LRSS) was set up to provide financial support to businesses required by the Health Protection regulations to close or severely curtail the services they could offer. As member organisations that are not established for the purposes of generating a profit, sports clubs are not businesses and, therefore, they are not eligible for funding from the LRSS. I am not minded to change that policy. I have, however, provided funding of £5 million this year to the Department for Communities to help sport clubs deal with the impact of the pandemic.