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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what estimate his Department's has made of the number of jobs displaced by automation during the covid-19 lockdown; and if he will make a statement.

We are continuing to monitor the impact of Covid-19 on the labour market. Whilst it is too early to make any firm conclusions on the number of jobs impacted by automation during the Covid-19 lockdown, technology has been vital in supporting more people to stay in employment during this period through more flexible and remote working.

The Government recognises that demand for skills will continue to change, in part in response to automation. In order to support people displaced in the labour market, the Government has announced that a total of £1.6 billion will be invested in scaling up employment support schemes, training and apprenticeships to help people looking for a job. This includes a £111 million investment to triple the scale of traineeships in 2020/21 and £17 million of funding for sector-based work academy placements.