Meanwhile, the government is considering offering bailout loans to debt-laden companies owned by private equity groups, the Financial Times reports. The move is an attempt to rescue a swath of the British High Street, which has seen the loss of hundreds of jobs because of the impact of lockdown restrictions caused by the pandemic. Citing four people involved in the process, the paper says the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy department wants to help private equity-backed groups that employ large numbers of people, such as Pizza Express, Prezzo and Merlin, the owner of Legoland. Under European Union rules, however, companies whose losses exceed 50% of their share capital are ineligible for government support.