New statistics showing the huge Government support to residents and businesses in Slough during the coronavirus pandemic are warmly welcomed by us at Slough Conservatives.
So far, the Conservative Government has provided a huge and unprecedented package of support to protect both lives and livelihoods through this incredibly challenging period. Latest statistics from the Treasury now show the sheer scale of support for Slough:
- 23,500 people have had their job protected through the Job Retention Scheme, which has allowed employers to furlough workers while the Government has provided up to 80 per cent of their wages.
- 7,400 Self-employed people in Slough have accessed £19m worth of Government grants, which do not need to be paid back, to cover lost earnings.
- £104.2m has been paid out to 3205 local businesses in the form of Bounce Back Loans, which provides loans of up to £50,000 within days of an application.
- £14.8m worth of grants has been handed out to 1101 businesses in Slough, which do not need to be paid back.
This year has been hugely challenging for people and businesses in our town, and these latest figures demonstrate the scale of support that the Conservative Government has put in place to support lives and local livelihoods.
And the support will continue - in June, the Prime Minister unveiled the New Deal for Britain – accelerating billions of pounds worth of infrastructure projects to get the country building and kickstart the economy – including an initial £2.5m to support projects in Slough. This has been followed by the Chancellor’s Rishi Sunak’s Plan for Jobs in July, which set out how the Government intends to create, protect and support jobs, backed by up to £30 billion.
“As we now work to restart our economy, I have no doubt that the Government will continue to support people in our town. Schemes such as the hugely popular Eat Out to Help Out are already proving a huge success at getting customers back into local businesses.
“Never has the Conservatives’ agenda to level up the whole country been so important in Slough – giving businesses the confidence to retain and hire, create jobs and ensure young people have the opportunity of a better start.”
Lee Pettman
Chairman, Slough Conservative Association
