I am grateful to the right hon. and learned Gentleman for what he said about dexamethasone, and I am glad that he is finally paying tribute to the efforts of this country in tackling coronavirus.

I am very pleased that we are going to be able to deliver a covid summer food package for some of the poorest families in this country and that is exactly the right thing to do. But I must say that I think he is completely wrong in what he says about poverty.

What we are talking about is what has actually happened, which is a reduction in poverty. I can tell him that of course this Government have invested massively in protecting the workforce of this country, with 11 million jobs protected by the coronavirus job retention scheme.

We put £3.2 billion extra into local government to tackle coronavirus, but I must say that we did not hear an answer, did we Mr Speaker? How can the right hon. and learned Gentleman talk about tackling the effects of coronavirus on the most disadvantaged?

We have put in additional funding beyond £3.2 billion, including £1.6 billion for frontline services and another £600 million to social care. The Government is proud of the investments made and local government's work during the crisis.

NHS or care workers who have paid the surcharge since May 21 will be refunded. The Government is instituting new arrangements as fast as possible.

I have studied my hon. Friend's proposals with interest. He is an expert in what he speaks of and we will certainly look at all kinds of imaginative ways in which we can stimulate a strong rebound, a strong economic recovery. He should stand by for what the Chancellor is going to be announcing in the next few weeks.

I put it to the right hon. Gentleman that there is another way of looking at it. The first point is that the people of this country are heartily sick of us going on about Brexit. They wanted to get it done and we got it done and we are going to move forward. When we come to the end of the transition period, we will be able to respond to our economic needs in a creative and constructive way.

I am very grateful to the hon. Lady, because we take the issue of the UK steel industry seriously. We are doing everything we can to maintain UK steel production and I will make sure that I look at the particular needs of the concern that she raises in Newport East. We have supported 9,200 workers in her constituency through the furlough scheme.

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. That is why we have provided 100% business rate relief for all new fibre investment. I am very happy to join her in thanking telecommunications workers for their amazing work. Many of them have kept going throughout the pandemic to put in that broadband infrastructure.

No. The furlough scheme should be available for everybody.

Of course they should be eligible for those, but as I have said to the right hon. Gentleman repeatedly in the Chamber, those who have no recourse to public funds do have access to the coronavirus job retention scheme, the self-employment income support scheme, the measures that we have introduced to protect renters and the mortgage holiday for those who need it. When an individual has been working for long enough in the UK and enough national insurance contributions have been made, they may also be entitled to employment and support allowance.

I am concerned about the behaviour of some companies, and many colleagues in the House will have received similar representations from their constituents. I do not want to single anyone out, but it is important that companies recognise that the Government —the taxpayer—have gone to huge lengths to help and to put our arms around UK business. They should do what they can as well to look after their workers in very difficult times, because those workers will stand them in good stead when the economy turns up again.

Johnson acknowledges Carmichael's concern but suggests it is governed by EU laws and implies Scotland would revert to the EU if it were independent. He states this side of the House intends to use Brexit freedoms to protect Scottish beef farmers.