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 ceramic businesses affected by the covid-19 outbreak.

The Government has taken unprecedented action to support businesses, including the those in the ceramics sector, since the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak. Measures include regulatory easements, tax deferrals and changes to Statutory Sick Pay.

The Coronovirus Business Interruption Loan Schemes, alongside the Covid Corporate Financing Facility and Bounce Back Loans, also provide businesses with the opportunity to access Government-backed financing.

In addition to this, the Job Retention Scheme has supported millions of workers since March and has been significant in keeping people in jobs, ensuring that sectors will be able to recover smoothly.

The Government has also launched the Kickstart Scheme, which provides funding to employers to create new, 6-month job placements for young people currently on Universal Credit.

Taken together, these measures as well as others are providing support to businesses across the country and in the ceramics sector.