During today's Urgent Question on the Economic outlook for the UK and the Government’s strategy to protect jobs and the economy in light of upcoming changes to the furlough scheme I sought assurance from The Treasury that the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme will be reformed to prevent companies, like British Airways, from making people redundant while on furlough. Not an encouraging response.
Huw Merriman (Bexhill and Battle)
"The Select Committee on Transport’s report on aviation has noted that British Airways is looking to make almost a third of its workforce redundant, while taking the job retention scheme for more than half of its employees and at the same time looking to invest £1 billion in a new airline. Will the Minister consider changing the job retention scheme so that companies cannot behave in this manner and rip off the taxpayer at the same time?"
Jesse Norman
"My hon. Friend will know that I cannot possibly comment on any specific circumstances, but I recognise the work he has done in putting this so squarely in the public mind."