Tim Farron
Liberal Democrat Lords Spokesperson (Communities and Local Government), Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Housing, Communities and Local Government), Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (North of England) (Northern Powerhouse), Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Food and Rural Affairs)
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what estimate his Department has made of the (a) potential number and (b) redundancies to date in the residential construction sector due to the reduction in housebuilding during the covid-19 outbreak.
Christopher Pincher
Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The ONS publishes survey data on a fortnightly basis on the proportion of the construction workforce that has been furloughed, off sick owing to coronavirus, or made redundant. Data for the housing construction subsector is not available.
The Government has put in place a number of measures to support the construction industry during the response to COVID-19. Many construction firms have made use of the Job Retention Scheme for their employees and apprentices, alongside Government-backed loans and tax holidays.
It remains as important as ever to invest in the skilled workforce to build the homes this country needs. My department is working with the Department for Business, Energy and the Industrial Strategy, the Department for Education, and the Construction Industry Training Board to support the industry to continue to recruit and train during this time.
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