Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to increase the funding available through the COVID-19 Corporate Financing Facility; what plans they have to extend the term for such loans beyond 12 months; and how they intend to make such loans more accessible to the aviation industry.

The Covid Corporate Financing Facility (CCFF) was set up in March 2020 to provide short-term liquidity for fundamentally strong firms. It was introduced during a period of exceptional volatility in financial markets to support corporate markets and ease the supply of credit to all firms.

As corporate credit conditions are increasingly supportive, the CCFF will close to new issuance from 23 March. Firms that have already accessed the scheme and meet the requirements are able to extend their loans for up to twelve months, providing funding until March 2022.

The CCFF has helped large corporates across a range of sectors, including the aviation industry. In total, the CCFF has provided over £34bn of support to some of the UK’s largest firms, directly supporting businesses responsible for almost 2.5 million jobs in the UK.

The Government recognises the challenging circumstances facing the aviation industry as a result of Covid-19 and HM Treasury continues to support the Department for Transport’s work leading the Global Travel Taskforce to facilitate a resumption of international travel. Firms can draw upon the unprecedented package of measures announced by the Chancellor, including flexibilities with tax bills and the extended furlough scheme. The aerospace sector and its aviation customers are also being supported with almost £11 billion made available through loan guarantees, support for exporters, and grants for research and development. This includes £8bn of UK Export Finance Guarantees.