Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what economic assessment he has made of the effect of ending the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.

After eight months of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, the scheme will close at the end of October. The scheme must be temporary and the Government must ensure people can get back to work safely and get the UK economy up and running again.

The longer people are on furlough, the more likely it is their skills could fade, making it harder for them to get new opportunities. It is in no-one’s long term interests for the scheme to trap people in jobs that only exist because of the subsidy.

Building on the action taken in the face of the immediate threat posed by the virus, the Government is now proceeding with the second phase of its response with the targeted Plan for Jobs which will support the UK’s economic recovery while continuing to prioritise people’s health.