Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will enable (a) veterinary and (b) other businesses under the covid-19 furlough scheme to retain sufficient staff on reduced hours to cover emergency provision while following Government advice on maintaining public health.

The Chancellor has announced that from 1 July, employers can bring back to work employees that have been furloughed for any amount of time and any shift pattern, while still being able to claim CJRS grant for the hours not worked.

There will not be a minimum furlough period, but employers will need to agree any flexible furlough arrangements with employees, and when claiming the CJRS grant employers will need to report and claim for a minimum period of a week.