Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans he has to extend the Coronavurus Job Retention Scheme for businesses in sectors unable to reopen for safety reasons as the covod-19 lockdown restrictions are eased.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer has said there will be no further extensions or changes to the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS).

After eight months of the CJRS, the scheme will close at the end of October.

Businesses and sectors that are unable to reopen can continue to access the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme until the scheme’s end as they have done so far.

The introduction of flexible furloughing further ensures that firms can begin to bring furloughed employees back to work as lockdown restrictions are eased and it becomes safe to do so.

It would be challenging to target the CJRS to specific sectors and locations in a fair and deliverable way, and it may not be the case that this is the most effective or sensible way to provide longer term support for those sectors and areas that are not yet reopening.

The Government will continue to engage with businesses and sectors with the aim of ensuring that support provided is right for those sectors and for the economy as a whole.