To ask the Minister for the Economy (i) what assessment has been made as to the cost of expanding COVID-19 business support to cover businesses and individuals still excluded; and (ii) to detail any estimates.

To date, my Department has provided around £400 million of much needed support to prevent business closures, to protect jobs and to promote our economic recovery. My Department has worked to provide additional support to those who have not been eligible for previous UK-wide and NI specific schemes which have included the introduction of the Newly Self-Employed Support Scheme and the Limited Company Directors Support Scheme.

My Department continues to consider proposals and explore options for further support measures. In doing so, officials have engaged with stakeholders on a regular basis to develop and refine existing schemes and to assist in identifying potential gaps in support.

However in considering proposals, it is not possible to determine with any degree of certainty how many individuals or businesses have not been eligible for any of the various support schemes introduced by the NI Executive or the UK Government. It is therefore not possible to provide an accurate estimate of the cost of providing additional support schemes.