Covid-19: Business

Patricia Gibson Excerpts

Tuesday 12th May 2020 Commons Chamber

[Alok Sharma]

My hon. Friend raises an incredibly important point. As he knows, we are already running digital campaigns across Government at this particularly vital time. Of course I agree that this is an opportunity for us to back local businesses in the heart of our communities.

[Patricia Gibson (North Ayrshire and Arran) (SNP) [V]]

Protecting jobs and businesses is important, but the Chancellor’s announcement on the covid job retention scheme—[Inaudible.]

[Mr Deputy Speaker (Mr Nigel Evans)]

Order. I am terribly sorry, Patricia; there seems to be a fault on the audio. We will see if we can correct it and come back to you. In the meantime, I call Maria Miller.

--- Later in debate ---

[Patricia Gibson (North Ayrshire and Arran) (SNP) [V]]

Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. Protecting jobs and businesses is important, but the Chancellor’s announcement on the jobs retention scheme—[Inaudible.] Although the scheme has been extended to October, the Government’s contribution to the scheme is to be cut. Can the Secretary of State explain why he thinks it is fair that 200,000 workers have been entirely excluded from the scheme just—[Inaudible.]

[Mr Deputy Speaker]

Secretary of State, were you able to get anything that you could give a response to?