UK government stands ready to support Debenhams' staff

Britain's government stands ready to support those employees affected by the decision to wind down British department store group Debenhams, a spokesman for Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Tuesday.

"We obviously understand it's a deeply worrying time for Debenhams' staff ... we stand ready to support them and we remain committed to supporting the retail sector and are working closely with industry during these very challenging times," he told reporters.