Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the survey results published by Make UK in its report Manufacturing Monitor, published on 7 September, and in particular the 62 per cent of respondents who thought the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme should be extended for critical sectors; and what action they plan to take as a result.

The Government is aware of the intense disruption businesses in the manufacturing sector have faced due to the pandemic and has sympathy with all those affected.

The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) was designed to be in place only as a temporary measure while businesses regrouped and responded to the crisis. It would be challenging to extend the CJRS for specific sectors in a fair and deliverable way and it would also be difficult to do so without creating distortion, particularly as some firms work across multiple sectors.

The CJRS will remain open until the end of October, and other schemes in the Government’s unprecedented package of support for businesses remain open for those who need it.

The Government is continuing to collect evidence on the impact of the pandemic, including on specific sectors, and to work with businesses and representative groups. This will of course inform the Government’s efforts to support the recovery heading into the autumn.