Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of subsidising the employers' wage contribution element of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme for businesses unable to trade in Northern Ireland between 17 October and 31 October 2020 before the Job Support Scheme is implemented.

The CJRS employer contributions are small in comparison to employee costs; if an average claim lasted 8 months, the total cost of employer contributions would represent about 5% of the total gross employment costs an employer would have incurred had the employee not been furloughed.

For employers who may need more support, there is a range of continuing support including the Bounce Back Loan Scheme. For employees who may need more support, the Government has introduced temporary welfare measures including a £1,000 a year increase to the Universal Credit standard allowance and Working Tax Credit basic element.