According to the Chancellor, businesses in Scotland will have access to nearly £600 million through the scheme.
Venues are still likely to receive support – but it is not yet clear how much of the money will have to be taken from other sources.
On Ms Forbes’ claims, Stuart McPhee, director of Aberdeen bar and hotel Sibera and spokesman for the Aberdeen Hospitality Together industry group, said: “Money that becomes available for business support, needs to get out to businesses as quickly as it possibly can.
“Like every round of funding we have had so far, the devil is in the detail and we need to see what transpires and how quickly it comes to the businesses.
Thank you for signing up to The Press and Journal newsletter.
Something went wrong - please try again later. Sign Up
Level 4 restrictions to come into play on Boxing Day could be the final nail in the coffin for some north and north-east businesses.
Industry bosses warned of the impact the next national lockdown would have on their livelihoods.
DaVinci Italian restaurant owner Elena Ionascu said: “We’ve tried so hard to survive but it just seems impossible now.
“This year we don’t even have one booking for a Christmas meal.”
The few reservations the restaurant had secured over the festive period have now all had to be cancelled, leading Mrs Ionascu to close down and donate the remainder of her stocks to food banks.
And he revealed his “Plan K menu” – a reference to the multiple changes of plans that he has had to make at his Bridge of Allan restaurant in response to new restrictions. With most of Scotland moving to Level 4 on Boxing Day, restaurants will only be able to offer takeaway options.
He told his Twitter followers: “If you’ve got dilemmas and you’ve changed your plans and are only cooking for four now, or you’ve bought a turkey and are thinking ‘what can I do with it?’ ‘what’s going to happen to all the stuff that I’ve planned?’, talk to us and we’ll do our best to help you out.