Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will take steps to ensure that (a) preservation of jobs and (b) payment of wages are conditions for support offered to business during the covid-19 outbreak.

The Government has outlined an unprecedented package of measures to protect millions of people’s jobs and incomes as part of the national effort in response to Coronavirus.

A new Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme will be set up to help pay people’s wages. Employers will be able to contact HMRC, who will reimburse 80% of furloughed workers wage costs, up to a cap of £2,500 per month. This will apply to members of the workforce who remain on businesses’ payroll, but are temporarily unable to work due to the Coronavirus outbreak.