Oxford hospitality and leisure businesses impacted by the spread of the Omicron variant will be able to apply for support funding.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak has announced that businesses in the hospitality and leisure sectors in England will be eligible for one-off grants of up to £6,000 per premises, plus more than £100 million discretionary funding will be made available for local authorities to support other businesses.

Government will also cover the cost of Statutory Sick Pay for Covid-related absences for small and medium-sized employers across the UK.

Some £30 million further funding will be made available through the Culture Recovery Fund, enabling more cultural organisations in England to apply for support during the winter.

The grants are funded by the Government but are administered in Oxford by Oxford City Council.

The council will provide details of how to apply for the grants as soon as the information on how much Oxford has been allocated, which businesses qualify and the process for awarding funds has been provided by the Treasury.

Councillor Susan Brown, Leader of Oxford City Council, said: “The spread of the Omicron variant has come at the worst possible time for our local businesses, many of which were counting on the festive season as a chance to recoup the profits they have lost this year.

“I’m very sorry that this extremely challenging year for local traders is now ending on another difficult note. I would urge businesses to apply for this funding to help them weather this latest storm. We want to support our local businesses in Oxford.”

More information will be made available on the Council’s website www.oxford.gov.uk/supportforbusiness