Economic Update Debate

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Department: HM Treasury
Wednesday 8th July 2020

(3 years, 10 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Rishi Sunak Portrait Rishi Sunak
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I am grateful for the right hon. Gentleman’s support. Perhaps alongside the “eat out to help out” scheme, we can make progress on reopening our gyms, to deal with that side of the equation at the same time. He is absolutely right to suggest that airlines and aviation are experiencing a difficult period. I remain in close contact with the industry and with individual companies to understand what is happening, and if there are things that we can and should do, of course we will.

Laura Trott Portrait Laura Trott (Sevenoaks) (Con)
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Many Opposition Members would have us extend the furlough scheme indefinitely, but that would simply extend false hope. Does my right hon. Friend agree that bold demand-side measures, such as “eat out to help out” and the VAT cut, are much better ways to protect jobs and our much-loved businesses?

Rishi Sunak Portrait Rishi Sunak
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My hon. Friend is absolutely right, and the OECD agrees with her. We should not be peddling false hope to people. We should be providing a better future for them, and that is what our interventions today will do.