Manufacturing Industries: Coronavirus

(asked on 5th May 2020) - View Source

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps the Government is taking to support the manufacturing sector during the covid-19 outbreak.


Answered by
Nadhim Zahawi Portrait
Nadhim Zahawi
This question was answered on 15th May 2020

Manufacturing is a critical part of our economy and the Government is engaging with industry to ensure that we can support our manufacturing sectors during and after the Covid-19 pandemic.

Many businesses across the aerospace, chemical, automotive, steel, aluminium, pharmaceutical, packaging, and other sectors are playing a direct role in combatting COVID-19. These businesses are producing the materials and equipment necessary, as well as enabling the services that we need to fight the spread of the virus and keep the country running.

We have put in place an unprecedented package of Government support to help with business continuity and to give manufacturers and their suppliers the support they. These measures include:

  • £330 billion worth of Government-backed and guaranteed loans to support businesses across the UK.
  • The Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) to help small and medium-sized businesses to access vital financial support.
  • Our new Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CLBILS) to allow more firms to benefit from Government-backed support.
  • The Bounce Back Loans scheme for small businesses, which complements the CBILS and CLBILS schemes.
  • Deferring VAT payments for firms to the next quarter, until the end of June, which represents a £30 billion injection into the economy.
  • Our Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, where small and large employers will be eligible to apply for a Government grant of 80% of workers’ salaries up to £2,500 a month. This is backdated to 1 March 2020 and available for at least three months.

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