A WEB seminar has been staged to help Bury and Greater Manchester businesses discuss the wider impacts of the Covid-19 outbreak on the business community.

Officals from the Greater Manchester Combined Authority represented the borough and the region at the NP11 gathering, which featured government ministers and Department of Business representatives.

Millions have been set aside for firms, large and small, as part of various Whitehall contingency arrangements for companies and traders.

The NP11 is the combination of 11 Northern local enterprise partnerships and issues under discussion ranged from the bounce back loans and job retention schemes to retraining and reskilling employees after the crisis.

Nadhim Zahawi, Business and Industry Minister, was joined by Simon Clarke, the Minister for Regional Growth and Local Government.

Roger Marsh, chairman of the NP11, said his network had worked closely with government on supporting those businesses which had been hit hard by the pandemic.

“Our attention is now increasingly focused on planning for a strong economic recovery," he said.

"Having the ear of the Government and the ongoing insight from the North’s business community is vital at this time, to help ensure that we play to our strengths and work collaboratively to create new opportunities while rebuilding the Northern economy.”

Sacha Lord, Night Time Economy Advisor for Greater Manchester said: “I hope that on the next positive call, we can investigate how the Government are going to support the hospitality industry, through to full recovery."

Five more roundtable discussions are planned, with pledges of ministerial support.