Economy Update

Question

The MP asks if there are any plans to support the retail sector further and to address issues of business rates with a discount scheme as suggested by the Local Government Association. She also inquires about ensuring that businesses retain staff after furlough ends.

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The MP asks about the impact of the third tier restrictions on small businesses that cannot fully open due to social distancing requirements and whether there will be a compensation scheme.

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The MP questions if there will be more support for self-employed individuals who have been excluded from previous schemes, mentioning specific examples like carers and independent workers.

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Businesses and workers have been pleading for certainty from this Government. The national lockdown was announced on Saturday, many weeks after both SAGE and Labour called for a circuit breaker. The Chancellor can change his mind at the last minute, but businesses cannot.

Question

The minutes of the SAGE meeting held on 21 September stated: 'Policy makers will need to consider analysis of economic impacts and the associated harms alongside this epidemiological assessment.' Will he confirm that the Treasury has worked on this analysis under the auspices of its chief economist? If they are accurate, will he confirm that the Treasury will release this analysis without delay?

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Asked for confirmation that the furlough scheme will not be cut back to 60% and expressed concern over businesses being excluded from support schemes. Mentioned potential permanent VAT cuts, additional funding needs for Scotland, and requested clarity on longer-term funding plans.

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Praised the strength of the Union and asked if my right hon. Friend will use his considerable energy to bring forward proposals based on sound conservative principles.

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Questioned why workers in the north were previously expected to cope with lower wages than those in southern regions under tier 3 restrictions and requested a guarantee that they would never be treated as second-class citizens.

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Quoted an IMF statement praising the UK’s economic response to coronavirus and asked if over the medium term we need to put UK public finances on a sustainable footing.

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Expressed disappointment over insufficient funding and reiterated concerns about Welsh constituents impacted by flooding, calling for fair funding and a meeting to discuss these matters.

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Welcomed measures to protect jobs and livelihoods and asked if my right hon. Friend agrees that the extended coronavirus job retention scheme will mitigate weaker economic activity.

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The Chancellor told us in his statement that people and businesses want to know what comes next and how long we plan to keep the scheme open and on what terms. He said that they want certainty. They certainly do, and that is why businesses and individuals in my constituency and across this country are so tired of this constant chop and change. Will the Chancellor admit that he has to extend the furlough scheme through to the summer, to June 2021, to give those businesses the certainty they need to plan?

Question

I am pretty awed, to be honest, by the incredible scale of the support that this Government are putting in place for the people of South Ribble and beyond. We have a massive recovery to undertake in jobs and employment, and this is absolutely vital. There is 2 billion quid being invested in kickstart to create opportunities for people leaving education. Does my right hon. Friend agree that prioritising help for those young workers, such as those leaving Runshaw College in Leyland, is the right thing to do and a key part of how we are going to recover?

Question

I thank the Chancellor for what he has said today. The equality for all the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is good news. Whether we are in Edinburgh, Cardiff, London or Belfast, we are treated equally. In relation to the Northern Ireland Assembly, which has been in a circuit breaker for the past two weeks, the Chancellor has said that the help will go right through until March, but should it be needed beyond that, it will be important to have that in place. Can the Chancellor specifically tell me what support will be given to businesses that have recently been set up but are excluded from the financial support schemes and are under extreme pressure for their very survival? It is good to hear that the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is being treated equally, but it is also good to have something for those small companies that have just been set up.

Question

I thank my right hon. Friend for the support that we have received. In Aberconwy, 8,800 jobs have been protected through the job retention scheme. Across Wales, 82,000 self-employed people have also been supported. Indeed, across Scotland, Northern Ireland and the whole of Wales, there have been unprecedented levels of support through schemes, through Barnett consequentials and more throughout this pandemic. Will he confirm again that this House stands for the whole United Kingdom, that it is our shared markets and strong economy that make this level of support possible and that all parts of our Union will continue to receive the attention and support of our Government?

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Although I am disappointed that there was no mention of those who have been excluded so far, I welcome much of what the Chancellor has said, particularly in relation to the devolved nations. However, when I asked just two weeks ago for greater flexibility for the Welsh Government to support jobs during their fire break, that support was not forthcoming. Greater Manchester and other parts of the north of England received a similar response. I ask the Chancellor whether he and the Government realise that pitting areas of the UK against each other serves only to damage the integrity of the United Kingdom, and I urge him to recognise the need for equity across the Union.

Question

May I add my name to the long list of people who, once again, are thanking my right hon. Friend for his unprecedented support, which will be a great source of comfort to the residents of Stoke-on-Trent North, Kidsgrove and Talke? May I raise the fact that there is not just a financial incentive through the kickstart scheme for the under-25s, but a financial incentive now for the over-25s in the form of apprenticeships, which will be a huge boost to the jobs and economic recovery of Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire. Does he agree that this type of scheme is exactly the way forward and that employers should be taking it up to ensure that we can reskill and retrain a workforce, who, in Stoke-on-Trent, are sadly largely low-skilled and therefore stuck, in some cases, in low-wage jobs?

Question

The Chancellor is right that the strength of our Union comes when we are working together, yet the reality of the delay in announcing the extended support for Wales meant that jobs were lost when all the Welsh Government were doing was following the evidence. The Chancellor had said that it was a strength to act in an agile and fast-moving way, and that is exactly what they were doing. He also described the extended restrictions as “the only viable option”. Will he now do the right thing, in the interests of the Union, in the interests of fairness and in the interests of equity, and backdate the extended support to 23 October and allow those who lost their jobs potentially to be rehired and then furloughed?

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I thank my right hon. Friend on behalf of the 1,900 self-employed people of Darlington who have benefited from the self-employed income scheme and who will welcome his announcement today, but may I urge him to ensure that this money gets out of the door as quickly as possible, particularly with Christmas just around the corner?

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My constituent Douglas McCarthy has been running the bespoke travel business Travelyard for many years and has seen his livelihood completely evaporate. Despite the fact that he has been bringing folk home and providing a vital service in the community, he feels that his industry has been virtually ignored by the UK Government and the insurance sector, which is failing to pay out on his business interruption insurance. In addition to the uncertainty over UK Government support, my constituent has had to fulfil full refunds out of his own pocket with very little support. Will the Chancellor, or someone from his team, meet my constituent and me to hear the specific concerns on what can be done to support him and travel agents like him?

Question

Will the Chancellor now admit that his premature wind-down of furlough, which he had scheduled to finish last weekend, in the middle of what many people expected to be a second wave, was actually a mistake? Will he admit that the virus does not conform to Treasury models or his own timetable for it to disappear? Will he continue to show flexibility? Will he confirm, for the avoidance of doubt, that if the current lockdown ends on 2 December, the furlough scheme will still be available to all those across the country, whatever tier of restrictions they are put back into?

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I thank the Chancellor for coming to the House again to update us on the current situation, and congratulate him on the enormous amount of help that has been given to the British people throughout this pandemic, but could he tell us how the country is going to pay for that support?

Question

In reply to a question I asked the Chancellor back in September, he said that those excluded from the self-employed scheme earned more than £50,000 and were in the top 5% of all earners. Will he explain why he has deliberately left out so many people again when announcing this latest version of the self-employed scheme?

Question

I commend the Chancellor on his statement. The incredible £200 billion-worth of support this Government have already provided has protected thousands of jobs in Blackpool South, and I know that those businesses will warmly welcome the extension of the furlough scheme through to March. However, coastal communities such as my own face particular challenges in reliance on tourism in years ahead.

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Only a week ago, the Government told West Yorkshire to go into tier 3. When we asked for full furlough scheme support because jobs were being stopped due to restrictions, the Chancellor said no. Why was it treated as second class?

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Like others, I am hugely grateful for this massive programme of support for jobs and livelihoods but it will all have to be paid for in the end. Will the Chancellor set out a plan to deal with the deficit?

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Businesses in Blackburn have been under additional restrictions since July. Despite agreeing to give Lancashire local authorities £30 million in business support, which is equivalent to about £20 per head, the Government are yet to provide a penny.

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May I thank the Chancellor for his willingness to be flexible to respond to changing needs of our economy during this crisis, and for the grants that will be made available to businesses that are forced to close?

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We welcome the news that the Chancellor will keep the £20 universal credit uplift beyond next April, but is he aware that that will still leave people seeking work £1,000 per year worse off than they were 10 years ago?

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May I thank Chancellor for extending furlough scheme to March and for cash grants for hospitality and other businesses that have had to close across my constituency? Will he continue to look at what support he can give to freelancers, including musicians, and company directors?

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The livelihoods of many self-employed Glasgow taxi drivers have been devastated in recent months. Why will income support grant for self-employed people go through until January, not March like the furlough scheme?

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I welcome the extension of the furlough scheme, but the Government have had since March to fix gaps in the CJRS and self-employment income support scheme that have excluded over 3 million individuals. Will the Chancellor commit to fixing these gaps?

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Does the Chancellor agree that the increase of the third self-employed grant from 55% to 80%, on top of £13.7 billion support already provided, makes the package one of the most comprehensive in the world?

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My constituent, Hannah, trades on the Lancaster charter market. Will outdoor market traders be considered differently for further assistance?

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Will the Chancellor look at exclusions and definitions in the self-employed scheme and consider specific help for the private and corporate events sector?

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Will the Chancellor confirm funding necessary to maintain the £20-per-week universal credit uplift beyond spring?

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What steps are being taken to ensure that the engineering sector participates in the kickstart scheme?

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Why does the Chancellor suggest Welsh people should be grateful for equally distributed financial support?

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Does my right hon. Friend share pride that the IMF praised our response for holding down unemployment?

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Does my right hon. Friend agree that this demonstrates the strength of the Union in providing support around the country?