Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Supporting People back into Work

Wednesday 16 September 2020 · 3 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 2 Partly answered 1 Not answered 0

Key points

  • By the end of July, more than 400,000 Welsh jobs had been supported by the coronavirus job retention scheme.
  • Over 77,000 meals were enjoyed in Brecon and Radnorshire as part of the eat out to help out scheme.
  • The first broadband USO connection in Wales was launched last week in Tregeiriog in the Ceiriog valley.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Fay Jones
Employment Wales
Context

The question arises from the need to support Welsh people back into work post-pandemic, especially after job retention schemes.

Question

What steps are being taken by the Government to support people back into work in Wales? By the end of July, more than 400,000 jobs had been supported by the coronavirus job retention scheme and £295 million was provided for self-employed individuals. However, further measures are needed.

Answer from Simon Hart

By the end of July, more than 400,000 Welsh jobs had been supported by the coronavirus job retention scheme, while £295 million has been provided to support 110,000 self-employed people. Since the start of March, that is at least 510,000 people in Wales who have been supported directly by the UK Government.

Answered
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Q2 Fay Jones
Business & Trade Women & Equalities
Context

The eat out to help out scheme provided a boost to the hospitality sector in Brecon and Radnorshire, particularly benefiting women workers. The question seeks to encourage the Welsh Government to replicate this scheme.

Question

More than 77,000 meals were enjoyed in Brecon and Radnorshire as part of the eat out to help out scheme created by the UK Treasury. This provided a very welcome boost to the hospitality and tourism sectors in my constituency, which I particularly welcome as those sectors largely employ more women than men. Will my right hon. Friend join me in encouraging the Welsh Government to do their part by creating a similar scheme and getting more women back into the workplace?

Answer from Simon Hart

My hon. Friend makes a really good point. Having visited her constituency twice, I think, in the recent past, I know just how much she has done to promote these schemes. Another value to the eat out to help out scheme is to remind everybody, whether members of the public or Members of this House, for that matter, of the importance of supporting local businesses in every possible way that we can as we climb out of these horrible few months.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Encouraging the Welsh Government to create a similar scheme

How: Under Review

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Q3 Simon Baynes
Employment Wales Science & Technology
Context

The launch of the first broadband USO connection in Wales aims to improve access to high-speed internet, particularly in rural areas.

Question

A key element in supporting people back into work is access to high-speed broadband, particularly in rural areas. Will my right hon. Friend join me in welcoming the first broadband USO—universal service obligation—connection in Wales, which was launched last week in Tregeiriog in the Ceiriog valley in my constituency as part of the Government's across-the-UK USO scheme to improve broadband where it is currently running at a low level?

Answer from Simon Hart

My hon. Friend is a solid champion of that cause. Some 3,500 premises in Clwyd South and over 200,000 in Wales have access to full fibre connection, but, as he says, this is only the start. For those businesses and individuals who really need high-quality broadband to operate, the clock is ticking in their favour.

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