Lockdown: Economic Support Debate

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Department: HM Treasury

Lockdown: Economic Support

John Lamont Excerpts
Tuesday 3rd November 2020

(3 years, 6 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Steve Barclay Portrait Steve Barclay
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As I mentioned earlier, within the £1.1 billion of support to local authorities, we have given them discretion to respond to local needs, and that includes Greater Manchester as a region. On the airport sector specifically, one reason why we have allocated more than £12 billion to test and trace is that one of the key issues, as I was told by that sector, is the importance of travellers being able to be tested quickly and released sooner than has been the case in recent weeks. We are working extremely hard on that issue, because that is one of the key measures, alongside the financial support to local authorities, that would make a real difference to the airport sector.

John Lamont Portrait John Lamont (Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk) (Con)
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I very much welcome the commitment that we heard yesterday from the Prime Minister that the furlough scheme will extend to Scotland whenever it is needed. Can the Chief Secretary to the Treasury confirm that the self-employment support scheme will also extend to my constituents in Scotland, ensuring that self-employed people are not left behind?

Steve Barclay Portrait Steve Barclay
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As I said earlier, these are UK-wide schemes. We continue to listen and engage, but the schemes apply on a UK-wide basis. That has been the case throughout, and that continues to be the case now.