Covid-19: Economy

Lord Woolley of Woodford Excerpts

Thursday 30th April 2020 Lords Chamber

[The Lord Speaker]

Lord Hendy. No? I call the noble Lord, Lord Woolley of Woodford.

[Lord Woolley of Woodford (CB)]

Black and minority ethnic youths are twice as likely to be unemployed as their white counterparts and 48% more likely to be on zero-hours contracts. What plans do the Government have to mitigate this already shocking data, which could get very much worse?

[Baroness Penn]

I thank the noble Lord for his question. We are, of course, extremely concerned about the impact of Covid on employment. That is why the job retention scheme applies to all people on the PAYE system, including those on zero-hours contracts. We have also made the welfare system more generous during this period, including adding to the standard allowance on universal credit.