Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme

(asked on 3rd September 2020) - View Source

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of extending the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme through autumn and winter 2020 for (a) the travel industry and (b) other sectors in which trade has been adversely affected by the covid-19 pandemic.


Answered by
Jesse Norman Portrait
Jesse Norman
This question was answered on 9th September 2020

After eight months of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, the scheme will close in October.

The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme must be temporary and the Government must ensure people can get back to work when it is safe to do so and get the UK economy up and running again.

It would be challenging to target the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme to specific sectors in a fair and deliverable way, and it may not be the case that this is the most effective or sensible way to provide longer term support for those sectors most affected by coronavirus.

It would also be difficult to target the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme at specific sectors without creating distortion, particularly as some firms work across multiple sectors.

There are other schemes, including the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme, that can provide support to specific firms.

Reticulating Splines