Dirprwy Lywydd, can I thank Helen Mary Jones not only for her questions, but also the ideas that she’s been able to offer me in recent times? I really do value them. They have helped to shape not just the second phase of the economic resilience fund, but other interventions. So, I’m very grateful indeed.

We are looking to take advantage of the coming fortnight to be able to take stock of the UK Government’s bounce back loan scheme, and also to ensure that we can work very closely with local authority partners on any details of a hardship scheme for the remaining businesses that may fall through the gaps. It’s also important that we ensure that we don’t inadvertently or unfortunately, accidentally, double fund any businesses that may try applying for both ERF phase 1 and ERF phase 2. By setting mid June as the date when we will open up the eligibility checker, we can be confident that we will have completed all payments to successful applicants from the first phase of the scheme.

In terms of some of those businesses that have been highlighted, some of those sectors, those bed-and-breakfasts that pay council tax may be eligible for ERF funding, provided they are VAT registered and employ, or if they are not then they would need to meet two of three points in our criteria—those three points regard being VAT registered, employing people by PAYE, or having a turnover of over £50,000. If they cannot meet that, then we are looking at how a further hardship fund may be able to assist.

But the purpose of our economic interventions is to support business that employs people, business that is viable, business that the owners and their employees rely on for their living. I’m afraid that we simply do not have the firepower to be able to support lifestyle businesses, and so we are having to be selective in terms of which businesses we are supporting. That’s why it’s absolutely right that we put our financial resource to best use in those businesses that would otherwise cease trading and collapse.

I would agree entirely with Helen Mary Jones regarding the need to ensure that the furlough scheme is more flexible in the months to come, and that’s why we wish to be discussing the scheme for how it operates from August to October right now. We need to be engaged in a meaningful way and this is what was discussed just this morning with counterparts from the devolved administrations and from BEIS. I will continue to press UK Government to be more flexible in terms of the application criteria and specifically the eligibility concerning dates. We would wish to see applications for furlough extended to the period between 15 March and 1 April to take account of seasonal workers.

We have established a greater degree of funding within the discretionary assistance fund to assist people who have fallen through this gap, on a temporary basis. Should the UK Government not address that particular problem regarding the dates, then we would again review whether any further support is required through the discretionary assistance fund.

I think Helen Mary Jones raises the important point about guidance. We have to ensure that as we lift restrictions, as we ease the lockdown, people have confidence in accessing businesses, in going into the workplace. We’ve been discussing with our social partners the guidance that not only applies to public transport, but also to businesses, on a sectoral basis, that takes advantage of the work that was carried out by BEIS in terms of safer working, but which also incorporates, crucially, the regulations here in Wales regarding the 2m rule. I look forward to being able to publish that guidance in the coming weeks, so that it enables businesses to incorporate any new ways of working sooner rather than later, so that they can transition into normal operations relatively seamlessly.