Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department plans to introduce support for people who are ineligible for existing covid-19 support schemes.

The Government has prioritised helping the greatest number of people as quickly as possible, including self-employed individuals, businesses of all sizes and the unemployed. The Government’s package of support to date totals over £190bn, with the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme alone having supported the wages of people in 9.6 million jobs. As the restrictions have changed, support has also evolved. The Government recognises it is not possible to preserve every job or business indefinitely, and will focus on targeting support as effectively as possible. Most recently, the Government announced a package of measures in the Winter Economy Plan, including the Job Support Scheme, that will continue to protect jobs and businesses through the uncertain months ahead.