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The Government has officially rejected a petition signed by more than 42,000 people calling for an extended furlough scheme for the theatre and live music industries.

Its response says that it recognises this is a challenging time for the sector.

"However, the Government’s judgement has been that it would be extremely challenging to extend the CJRS (Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme) for specific sectors in a fair and deliverable way, and that to do so would not be the most effective or sensible means by which to provide longer term support for those sectors most affected by COVID-19.

"It would also be difficult to target the CJRS at specific sectors without creating economic distortions, particularly since many firms work across multiple sectors."

It highlighted the Job Retention Bonus, a one-off payment of £1000 to employers for each furloughed employee, and the Job Support Scheme, the successor to the CJRS.