The Government will continue to spend billions of pounds on the furlough scheme, paying the salaries of millions of workers for months to come. The Chancellor Rishi Sunak has promised to protect the jobs of those furloughed by their employers until October.

Mr Sunak said the scheme, introduced to prevent mass redundancies, will need to adapt as the economy reopens. Employers will have to contribute around 5% of salaries from August , rising to just over 20%, before the scheme stops at the end of October.

The programme currently supports more than 8.5 million employees, with people able to go back to work part-time from July. The Chancellor also pledged to extend support for the 2.5 million self-employed who now receive grants until August. The estimated cost of both schemes, stands at around a £100 billion.

Clive Myrie presents BBC News at Ten reports from Economics Editor Faisal Islam and Chief Political Correspondent Vicki Young.

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