Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to prevent unemployment among key workers in the (a) shipping and (b) ports sectors as a result of the economic effect of the covid-19 outbreak.

The Department’s officials and I have been working closely with businesses across the maritime sector, including shipping and port operators, to understand the impact and challenges they face from the global COVID-19 crisis.

The Government has announced an unprecedented package of financial measures to support businesses through the COVID-19 pandemic, worth £350 billion. We are providing the sector with guidance on how to access the government's business support schemes, including the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.

On 24 April we announced a package of support to maintain services on critical freight routes between Great Britain and Northern Ireland and between Great Britain and mainland Europe. The Government has also put together an emergency support package for lifeline ferry services, with up to £10.5m being allocated to safeguard vital transport links connecting the Isle of Wight and the Isles of Scilly to the British mainland.