Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the focus groups conducted by Hanbury Strategy in June and July 2020 on behalf of his Department for (a) over-35s and (b) under-35s in the (i) West Midlands and (ii) East Midlands were asked to provide their opinions on the (A) idea behind and (B) messaging around the Eat Out To Help Out Scheme subsequently announced in his predecessor's Plan for Jobs statement on 8 July 2020.

Throughout the pandemic, the Government acted to save lives and livelihoods, prevent the NHS being overwhelmed and deliver a world-leading vaccine rollout which protected the nation. The Government also took decisive action to respond to this historic shock to the UK economy, protecting jobs to ensure the economy could recover more smoothly.

The Government has set up the covid inquiry to examine all such matters relating to the response to the pandemic. It will now be for the inquiry to continue with its work, as directed by the inquiry’s chair. It would not be appropriate to provide a running commentary on the issues being considered while the public hearings are ongoing.

The Government is committed to learning from the covid inquiry’s findings, which will play a key role in informing the government’s planning and preparations for the future.