Covid-19 Debate

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Department: Cabinet Office

Covid-19

Jeff Smith Excerpts
Wednesday 6th January 2021

(3 years, 10 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Boris Johnson Portrait The Prime Minister
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My hon. Friend will have studied the JCVI’s list of priority groups, and my right hon. Friend the Health Secretary will be setting out a programme for rolling those vaccines out beyond the first four that I have already described.

Jeff Smith Portrait Jeff Smith (Manchester, Withington) (Lab) [V]
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My constituent Ross has had no work since the first lockdown and is one of the people who have fallen through the gaps in the self-employed support scheme. His only income now is £598 per month universal credit. His rent, council tax and bills are £590 a month, so he is living on £8 a month. Could the Prime Minister live on £8 a month? If not, will he ask the Chancellor to look again at how he can help the people excluded by the self-employed support scheme?

Boris Johnson Portrait The Prime Minister
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I know that this has been raised many times already today by Members from across the House, but I must repeat what I have said: £13.7 billion has gone to support the self-employed already. I have no doubt that further measures will be forthcoming, but the overall package of support is £260 billion across the whole of the country.