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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to support supply chains in the construction industry during the covid-19 outbreak.

The construction sector will be a key part of our economic recovery. The Government continues to work closely with the sector to ensure that we can support its bounce back.

My Rt. Hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer has announced a host of measures to help businesses, including construction firms and businesses in the supply chain, to access finance. Measures include £330 billion worth of Government-backed and guaranteed loans, as well as:.

• A Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme, which enables small businesses with a turnover of up to £45 million to access vital financial support.

• A Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme, providing finance to mid-sized and larger UK businesses with a group turnover of more than £45 million.

• A Bounce Back Loans Scheme, which provides loans of up to £50,000 to benefit small businesses with a 100% Government-backed guarantee for lenders.

The Government has also worked with construction firms to develop guidance on safer working on construction sites, to enable them to reopen safely as soon as possible. The guidance is available at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/working-safely-during-coronavirus-covid-19.

In addition, the construction industry has developed Site and Branch Operating Procedures for firms and merchants, as well as guidance for small firms and mineral products suppliers, regarding how construction firms can apply the Government’s guidance on safer working.