Business

Government could extend furlough scheme beyond June - Lewis

Secretary of State Brandon Lewis
Secretary of State Brandon Lewis Secretary of State Brandon Lewis

NORTHERN Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis said the UK Government has not ruled out extending the furlough scheme past the end of June.

Anaysis from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) published on Thursday, indicated that 65 per cent of businesses in the north have applied for the UK government’s Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.

Speaking about the scheme, Mr Lewis told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "Well we haven't made any final decisions yet about how it ends and when we will end it.

"I have to say people are talking about this because obviously at the moment it is due for review and due to end in the end of June.

"But the Chancellor has been clear, if we need to extend furlough beyond June we will do that, but we're going to do this in stages when we have a better understanding of where we are in terms of the cycle of the virus and the impact on the economy at that stage.

"So we are determined to do it. As the Chancellor himself said, and the Prime Minister at the very beginning, whatever we can and whatever it takes to make sure, just exactly as Lord Darling just said, that when we come through this virus the economy has the ability to start to bounce back."