Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of extending further support to the hospitality, leisure, and tourism industries if the current suspension of commercial activity continues beyond June 2020.

During this difficult time the Treasury recognises the extreme disruption the necessary actions to combat Covid-19 are having on businesses, including important industries such as hospitality, leisure and tourism.

That is why the Government has announced unprecedented support for individuals and businesses to protect against the current economic emergency. This includes the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, a business rates holiday, grants to smaller businesses, and a package of government-backed and guaranteed loans through the Coronavirus Corporate Financing Facility (CCFF), the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) and the Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CLBILS). Together these schemes ensure almost all viable UK businesses can apply for a government backed loan.

The government will not be able to protect every single job or save every single business, but these measures will support millions of families, businesses and self-employed people to get through this and emerge on the other side both stronger and more united.