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<p>The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme was designed as a temporary, economy-wide
measure to support businesses while widespread restrictions were in place. Closing
the scheme at the end of September is designed to strike the right balance between
supporting the economy as it opens up, continuing to provide support and protect incomes,
and ensuring that incentives are in place to get people back to work as demand returns.
This approach has worked; the OBR have estimated that without the short-term fiscal
easing announced in the Budget, and in particular the CJRS extension, unemployment
would have been about 300,000 higher in the fourth quarter of this year than the 2.2
million in the central forecast.</p><p> </p><p>The Government recognises the particular
challenges that the travel industry has faced as a result of COVID-19. In England
travel agents have recently benefited from Restart Grants worth up to £6,000, and
can continue to benefit from the £2 billion of discretionary grant funding that has
been made available to local authorities in England through the Additional Restrictions
Grant (ARG). Furthermore, the travel sector is being supported with over £12 billion
that has been made available through loan guarantees and support for exporters. In
addition, airports continue to benefit from the renewed Airport and Ground Operations
Support Scheme announced at Budget.</p><p> </p><p>The Global Travel Taskforce (GTT)
report sets out a clear framework for the Government’s objective of establishing a
safe and sustainable return to international travel, which is key to enabling the
sector’s recovery. It has been created following extensive engagement with the international
travel and tourism industries, and changes following the recent checkpoint review
of the GTT are a vital step in enabling the recovery of travel operators and those
whose jobs rely on the travel industry.</p><p> </p><p>The Government has shown throughout
the pandemic that it is prepared to adapt support if the path of the virus changes.
It continues to engage closely with sectors across the economy, including the travel
industry, in order to understand their recovery horizons as the vaccine is rolled
out and restrictions ease.</p>
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