Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the effect of the covid-19 pandemic on the travel industry; and what support he plans to provide to travel companies during that pandemic.

In response to the impact of and specific challenges posed by COVID-19 to international travel, the Prime Minister has asked the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care and the Secretary of State for Transport to establish the cross-government Global Travel Taskforce, to consider further how government can support the sector to meet these challenges.

The travel sector is crucial to the UK’s economy. The Chancellor has put in place unprecedented support package to help businesses to manage the challenges they are facing as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Prime Minister announced on the 31 October, that people and businesses across the UK will be provided with additional financial support as part of the Government’s plan for the next phase of its response to the COVID-19 outbreak.

The Government’s Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) will remain open until December, with employees receiving 80% of their current salary for hours not worked, up to a maximum of £2,500. Under the extended scheme, the cost for employers of retaining workers will be reduced compared to the current scheme, which ended on the 31 October. This means the extended furlough scheme is more generous for employers than it was in October.