Coronavirus: Employment Support Debate

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Department: HM Treasury

Coronavirus: Employment Support

Neale Hanvey Excerpts
Thursday 19th March 2020

(4 years, 1 month ago)

Commons Chamber
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John Glen Portrait John Glen
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We will do what it takes to support workers who are in distress. We have brought forward a package of measures, some of which will be imminently delivered, such as the unprecedented loan scheme. We have also added a number of grant schemes available through local authorities and reliefs from business rates, and additional measures will be coming imminently.

Neale Hanvey Portrait Neale Hanvey (Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath) (Ind)
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The Links market is the largest street fair in Europe and has been happening every spring for the last 700 years in Kirkcaldy. Unfortunately, as a result of coronavirus, the Scottish section of the Showmen’s Guild of Great Britain has had to take the reluctant decision to postpone the event this year. That is going to cause significant hardship for their members. It will also have a significant impact on the local economy because it attracts many visitors. What support will be available to get them through this difficult time and preserve their important fair?

John Glen Portrait John Glen
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The hon. Gentleman highlights what many colleagues are going to experience: events that have been planned and have been going on for many, many decades will be cancelled as a result of what is happening. The package of measures that we have announced will be accessible to many of those people. The sectors that are involved will sometimes have sector-specific packages, where there has been a direct effect as a consequence of Government decisions, and we are urgently working on a broader package with respect to employees.