Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme

Wednesday 11 November 2020 · 5 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 3 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Prime Minister stated the job retention scheme is a UK-wide initiative with 80% funding for all parts of the UK.
  • Scottish Government must be transparent about the 8.2 billion funding provided through the Barnett formula.
  • UK Government invested over 230 million in vaccine manufacturing and will distribute vaccines fairly across all parts of the UK.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Hannah Bardell SNP
Employment Scotland
Context

Discussions on extending the job retention scheme were ongoing. The SNP was concerned about levels of poverty when the scheme ended.

Question

What recent discussions has he had with Cabinet colleagues on extending the coronavirus job retention scheme in Scotland? May I associate myself and those on the SNP Benches with the comments of the Secretary of State?

Answer from Alister Jack

Absolutely not. The Prime Minister was clear from the get-go that it was a UK-wide scheme with 80% funding for the whole of the United Kingdom.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The answer did not address whether targeted support would include Scotland and other devolved nations, focusing instead on reaffirming the UK-wide nature of the scheme.

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Q2 Hannah Bardell SNP
Economy Scotland
Context

The UK Treasury provided an up-front guarantee of £8.2 billion to the Scottish Government for job protection and tackling coronavirus.

Question

The UK Treasury has provided a substantial guarantee of £8.2 billion to the Scottish Government to help protect jobs and tackle coronavirus, yet we have not heard from the Scottish Government about where more than £2 billion of that funding will be spent. Does the Secretary of State agree that the Scottish Government needs to provide urgent details on how they will use this funding to support Scots?

Answer from Alister Jack

I agree with my hon. Friend. There has been substantial extra funding, guaranteed funding, of £8.2 billion through the Barnett formula. The Scottish Government must be open and transparent about how that money is being spent to ensure accountability for the people of Scotland.

Answered
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Q3 John Lamont Con Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk
Scotland Parliamentary Procedure
Context

There were discussions about extending the job retention scheme into next year, but concerns raised over the lack of clarity on another referendum.

Question

The Minister has recently said that the job retention scheme will last into next year. However, he also stated there will be no referendums on Scotland's future for a generation. Can the Minister quote me where it says in the Edinburgh agreement that there cannot be another referendum?

Answer from Alister Jack

The words 'once in a generation' were mentioned on several pages of the SNP Government's White Paper prior to the 2014 referendum.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not address the specific request for a quote from the Edinburgh Agreement, instead referring to the White Paper.

How: Changing Subject, Dismissing Question

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Q4 Mhairi Black SNP
Employment
Context

Positive news about a potential covid-19 vaccine was discussed, focusing on the need for joint working between Scottish and UK Governments.

Question

The extension of the furlough scheme demonstrated again how the UK Government continues to support jobs in all four nations. Following positive news about a potential vaccine, will the Secretary of State outline the work done with the Scottish Government to ensure a seamless roll-out across Scotland and the UK?

Answer from Alister Jack

We have invested more than £230 million in manufacturing any potential vaccine. Vaccines have been procured and paid for by the UK Government, to be distributed fairly across all parts of the UK according to population share.

Answered
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Q5 Douglas Ross Con
Employment Business Compliance
Context

A business operator in Glasgow was distressed due to last-minute changes to the furlough scheme, keeping employees and taking on debt.

Question

A business owner contacted me four days before furlough ended, feeling severe stress from this Government's decisions. Will the Secretary of State apologise for the distress caused to that business operator and his staff, as well as others who lost their jobs due to these last-minute changes?

Answer from Alister Jack

This is a dynamic situation where decisions are made based on current circumstances. Employers can now put back onto furlough any staff who lost jobs after 23 September but were employed and on furlough up until that date.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Secretary of State did not directly address the request for an apology or acknowledge the stress caused by last-minute decisions.

How: Changing Subject, Dismissing Question

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