Oral Answers to Questions

Joy Morrissey Excerpts

Tuesday 26th January 2021 Commons Chamber

[Lucy Powell (Manchester Central) (Lab/Co-op)]

What recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of financial support schemes for businesses during the covid-19 outbreak.

[Joy Morrissey (Beaconsfield) (Con)]

What fiscal steps his Department is taking to support businesses affected by the covid-19 outbreak.

[Caroline Ansell (Eastbourne) (Con)]

What fiscal steps his Department is taking to support businesses affected by the covid-19 outbreak.

--- Later in debate ---

[Rishi Sunak]

No one, least of all me, is patting themselves on the back while hundreds of thousands of people are losing their jobs and many businesses are seeing extreme dislocation as a result of what is happening in our economy. I have put in place a series of measures, but I have always said that we cannot protect or save every job and every business. The hon. Lady makes a fair point, which is why we have said that we will review all our economic measures to support people through coronavirus at the upcoming Budget, in the first week of March.

[Joy Morrissey [V]]

Many female business owners have found themselves working full-time jobs at home while bearing full-time responsibility for childcare and home schooling, all at the same time. May I thank my right hon. Friend for all the steps he is taking to alleviate the difficulties experienced by mothers who just want to work and contribute to the economy with their children safely back in school?

[Rishi Sunak]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right, and we owe mums everywhere an enormous debt of thanks for doing the enormously difficult job of juggling childcare and work at this tricky time. I know she will join me in being happy that early years settings have been open for a while, but she is right to say that the only way to sustainably solve this challenge is safely to reopen our schools as quickly as we can.