Covid-19: Economy Update Debate

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Department: HM Treasury

Covid-19: Economy Update

Naz Shah Excerpts
Thursday 22nd October 2020

(3 years, 6 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Lindsay Hoyle Portrait Mr Speaker
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Let us head to Ludlow and Philip Dunne. There is no sound, so I call Naz Shah.

Naz Shah Portrait Naz Shah (Bradford West) (Lab)
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I do not need to tell the Chancellor about the way we are going, with the economy plunging further into a crisis. The biggest thing that businesses in my constituency tell me is that uncertainty is their biggest enemy. We have now been under extra restrictions for more than 150 days. If we go into tier 3, and given that the Chancellor does not want a planned circuit breaker, what support will he give to businesses in my constituency of Bradford West? Importantly, how long should they be prepared for uncertainty?

Rishi Sunak Portrait Rishi Sunak
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I am pleased to tell the hon. Lady that the tier 2 grants that I announced today will be backdated, so that her businesses and local authority will receive funding that is backdated to when they entered tier 2 restrictions. I think those grants worth up to £2,000 over a month will be of enormous support to businesses in her constituency, at what I appreciate is a difficult time.