Good Evening,
In what could be a difficult December it was great to start the week with another positive step forward as Matt announced that the MHRA has formally authorised the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine for Covid-19.
Throughout this crisis my priority has been to try and protect as many jobs as possible. Over a million people work in the retail sector and it's been a challenging year, which is why we've put a lot of different measures in place, whether it's the furlough, business rates holidays or cash grants. I was delighted this week to see the sector safely reopen again and encourage everyone to support them in any way we can.
Top News
SEISS 3 Open
The online service to claim the third Self Employment Support grant is now open. The third taxable grant is worth 80% of the average monthly trading profits, paid out in a single instalment covering 3 months’ worth of profits, and capped at £7,500 in total.
There will be a fourth grant covering February 2021 to April 2021. We will set out further details, including the level of the fourth grant in due course.
The self-employed who have been impacted by coronavirus can find out if they can use this scheme to claim a grant via the link below.
One to Watch
Small Business Saturday
Our country has been built by the hard work of Britain’s business owners and entrepreneurs. Their shops, factories and markets are at the heart of every high street and community, and are vital to the success of our economy. Since the start of the pandemic, this government has done everything it can to support them through one of the toughest periods in our country’s history.
That's why I'll be supporting Small Business Saturday tomorrow. Small Business Saturday is a grassroots, non-commercial campaign, which highlights small business success and encourages consumers to 'shop local' and support small businesses in their communities. Read more via the link below.
Final Word
Monday's Q&A
How will we tackle long-term economic scarring?
Is the change to foreign aid a temporary measure?
How do MP's justify a pay rise?
On Monday I took part in one of our monthly Twitter Q&As. Hopefully this provides some useful answers to those who have similar questions. You can watch all my answers to the Q&A via the link below.