What steps his Department is taking to support job retention during the covid-19 outbreak.

The Government has taken unprecedented action to protect jobs during the pandemic, most notably through the CJRS which has seen 1.2 million employers apply to help to pay the wages of 9.6 million furloughed jobs. The CJRS has been extended until March, and the OBR have forecast this is set to support up to 6 million jobs. Employers have also received billions in loans, tax deferrals, Business Rate reliefs, and general and sector-specific grants.