Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, following the release of ONS figures which found a decline of 695,000 employees on payrolls since March, what plans they have to extend the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.

Building on the action taken in the face of the immediate threat posed by the virus, the second phase of the Government’s response to the pandemic began earlier this year with the targeted Plan for Jobs. This places emphasis on job creation, as well as protection through the Job Retention Bonus, which specifically encourages firms to keep on workers they previously furloughed. It also supports jobseekers with direct help to find work and to gain the skills they need to gain employment.

Now that the economy is opening up, the Government has introduced a Winter Economy Plan including the new Job Support Scheme, which targets support to those businesses that need it most: focusing on those that are being affected by COVID-19 and who can support their employees doing some work, but that need more time for demand to recover.