Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme

(asked on 12th May 2020) - View Source

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

To ask Her Majesty's Government what support is available to businesses that have not been ordered to close but are reliant on those that have, such as ticket agents, 73 per cent of whose staff have been furloughed according to the Entertainment Agents' Association; and whether they expect that these businesses and their staff will need continued support to prevent large job losses.


Answered by
Lord Callanan Portrait
Lord Callanan
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
This question was answered on 27th May 2020

The Government is aware that businesses are facing?many challenges during this?unprecedented?time?and?we are doing everything at our disposal to support?businesses through this crisis and beyond.

The Government has been clear that it is essential that businesses that experience increased costs and disrupted cash flow as a result of coronavirus are supported, and my Rt. Hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer has announced unprecedented support for business and workers to protect them against the current economic emergency. These measures include the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS), Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CLBILS), and Bounce Back Loan Scheme, which are designed to help businesses across the UK impacted by the coronavirus crisis to access funding they need and the Self-Employed income support scheme. Guidance on all these schemes can be found on the Government website.

In addition, to help firms to continue to keep people in employment, the Government has introduced the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme. The scheme has protected over 7 million workers and almost 1 million businesses so far through this crisis. This scheme has been extended in full until end July 2020 and after July we will introduce more flexibility to the furlough scheme so that we move out of it in a measured way that protects people’s incomes and helps support furloughed employees as they return to work. This will run for three months from August through to the end of October.

The Government recognises that some firms will be affected longer than others by Coronavirus. Through this period, the Government will continue to monitor developments in the public health and wider economic situation, and engage with affected sectors, to ensure that the support provided is right for these sectors and for the economy as a whole.

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