Shadow Finance Secretary Donald Cameron has hailed the UK Government’s job retention scheme for helping to protect thousands of jobs across Argyll and Bute.

The latest figures from HMRC show that a total of 628,200 people across Scotland have been protected by the so-called furlough scheme, with a total of 9,200 protected in Argyll and Bute alone.

Mr Cameron, a Highlands and Islands MSP said: “These figures from the job retention scheme for Argyll and Bute are quite remarkable and highlight the support provided by the UK Government in order to protect thousands of jobs across Argyll and Bute.

“As we know, Argyll and Bute, with its high dependence on tourism, is extremely vulnerable to the economic impact of the pandemic, so these measures are incredibly important for us.

“They underline the advantages we gain from being part of the union and the need for a collective UK wide response to this unprecedented crisis.”

The UK Government has provided further support to businesses and individuals in Scotland through the self-employed scheme, bounce back loans, VAT referrals and increases in welfare support such as Universal Credit, as well as an extra £3.8 billion in support through Barnett Consequential funding.