Asked by: Baroness Doocey (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to compensate pubs, restaurants and bars for any revenue lost as a result of the introduction of a 10pm closing time.
Answered by Lord Agnew of Oulton
The Government recognises that the necessary restrictions on opening hours for hospitality venues will be disruptive for businesses in this sector.
We recognise that the sector is a vital source of employment across the country, and that is why – in addition to the CJRS, tax deferrals and loans – we have prioritised support for hospitality businesses. This has included:
On 24 September the Chancellor set out the next phase of our plan to support the economy, following announcement of measures to control the spread of COVID-19. This is a targeted package of measures to support jobs and business through the winter months, including a new Job Support Scheme, an extension of the reduction in VAT (5%) for the tourism and hospitality sector to 31 March 2021, and changes to the existing government backed loan schemes to help business access the finance they need and plan their cashflow.
The Government is continuing to collect evidence on the impact of the pandemic on the hospitality sector and to work with businesses and representative groups to inform our efforts to support this sector.
Asked by: Baroness Doocey (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they plan to take to address concerns from the tourism industry, including from tour operators, about employees who are unable to meet the requirement to work at least 33 per cent of their usual hours to qualify for support from the Job Support Scheme.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
We recognise that these are extremely challenging conditions for businesses in the tourism sector, including tour operators. We continue to closely monitor the situation.
While it will not be possible to preserve every job or business, the Chancellor’s recent package of targeted measures will help businesses to protect jobs and manage their finances in the face of reduced or uncertain demand.
Tour operators have been able to access the Government’s comprehensive economic support package, which includes the Coronavirus Jobs Retention Scheme until the end of October. It also includes a significant cut to VAT for most tourism and hospitality activities until the end of March.
We are offering impacted businesses generous terms for the repayment of deferred taxes and government-backed loans, as well as extending the application window of the government-backed loan schemes.
We are continuing to engage across Government and with stakeholders to assess how we can most effectively support the recovery of tourism across the UK.
Asked by: Baroness Doocey (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the financial impact on the hospitality sector of the decision to not permit conferences, exhibitions and events to take place.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
We recognise that the events industry and its supply chain has been severely impacted by Covid-19. We continue to engage with the stakeholders, including through the Visitor Economy Working Group and the Events Industry Senior Leaders Advisory Panel, to monitor the situation. As with all aspects of the Government’s response to Covid-19, our decisions have been and will continue to be based on scientific evidence and public health assessments.
Events businesses can continue to make use of the broader support package available to them. This includes the Bounce Back Loans scheme, the Self-Employed Income Support Scheme and the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.
Meetings of up to 30 can still take place in permitted venues, as per the Covid-19 Secure guidance for the visitor economy.
Asked by: Baroness Doocey (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what targeted, support they are making available to leisure centres, museums, parks and libraries both during and beyond the lockdown.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Organisations in the leisure and recreation sector have benefitted from the unprecedented Government support for business and workers. We know that the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, in particular, has been a lifeline for these sectors, protecting jobs while organisations are closed.
In general, it is expected that publicly funded bodies such as leisure centres and parks, including companies (public enterprises), will not need to access the various different government support schemes. Other organisations such as charitable libraries, leisure centres, and museums, may be able to benefit from a range of support measures including: A 12-month business rates holiday for all eligible retail, leisure and hospitality businesses in England; the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant Fund; the Small Business Grant Fund, which provides £10,000 for all business in receipt of small business rate relief or rural rate relief; the Discretionary Grant Fund for Local Authorities in England to make grants payments to businesses not eligible for the above schemes; the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme; VAT deferral for up to 12 months; the Time To Pay scheme; and protection for commercial leaseholders against automatic forfeiture for non-payment until June 30, 2020.
There is also sector-specific support. For example, museums have had access to over £200 million of support from Arts Council England, the National Lottery Heritage Fund, and Historic England.
The Government continues to monitor the impact of these and other measures.
Asked by: Baroness Doocey (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what measures they are putting in place to support Coventry, as it prepares to become UK City of Culture 2021, to compensate for the downturn in tourism revenue due to COVID-19.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
We recognise that COVID-19 has significantly impacted tourism revenue in regions across the country. We continue to engage with stakeholders to monitor the situation and to assess how we can most effectively support the sector’s recovery when tourism activity restarts.
Tourism businesses and workers in Coventry can access the Government’s comprehensive support package, including the recently extended Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and the Bounce Back Loan scheme.
The Government has invested over £15 million to support Coventry’s year as UK City of Culture, and the Department for Digital, Culture and Media and Sport is working closely with Coventry City of Culture Trust and partners to continue to ensure Coventry’s success as host city.
Asked by: Baroness Doocey (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what targeted, additional support they are making available to businesses in seaside towns during and beyond the lockdown.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
The government has already invested £228m since 2012 in coastal towns, supporting 359 projects through the Coastal Communities Fund and a further £7.5 million though the Coastal Revival Fund.
In recognition of the disruption caused by Covid-19, the government has announced a package of support for businesses to help with their ongoing business costs.
The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has been working across Government to provide £13 billion of grant funding to help small and rural businesses and businesses in the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors manage their cashflow through this period. This support is in the form of two grant funding schemes, the Small Business Grant Fund (SBGF) and the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant Fund (RHLGF). As of 10 May, these grants have been received by over 742,000 businesses and the performance of local authorities in disbursing funding is published on a weekly basis, including all local authorities covering coastal areas of England, this document can be found here at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-grant-funding-local-authority-payments-to-small-and-medium-businesses
In addition, on 1 May, the Business Secretary announced that up to £617 million is being made available to Local Authorities in England to allow them to provide discretionary grants. This is an additional 5% uplift to the £12.33 billion funding previously announced. The additional Local Authority Discretionary Grants Fund is aimed at small businesses with ongoing fixed property-related costs but not liable for business rates or rates reliefs. Guidance, intended to support Local Authorities in administering the Discretionary Grants Fund, was published on 13 May. This does not replace existing guidance for the SBGF or the RHLGF.
Furthermore, High Streets Minister Simon Clarke announced on 24 May 2020 a new £50 million fund for councils to support their local high streets get safely back to business. To prepare for the reopening of non-essential retail when the scientific advice allows, the Reopening High Streets Safely Fund will help councils in England, including those with seaside towns, introduce a range of safety measures in a move to kick-start local economies, get people back to work and customers back to the shops. The announcement, including allocations, can be found (attached) https://www.gov.uk/government/news/50-million-boost-to-support-the-recovery-of-our-high-streets and the accompanying guidance at : https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/reopening-high-streets-safely-fund-guidance
Asked by: Baroness Doocey (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what measures are in place to ensure that individuals who are arrested and questioned by the police have access to solicitors during the COVID-19 pandemic, and can access them in a way that conforms to social-distancing measures.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
The Home Office are in regular contact with the National Police Chiefs' Counsel (NPCC) and other key stakeholders regarding custody related matters.
The NPCC have circulated guidance for all police forces in order for them to safely manage their custody suites with respect to their detainees, staff and visitors. The CPS has also published a temporary interview protocol which clearly sets out the situations where interviews should be prioritised and encourages solicitors to access interviews via video or telephone.
Police have guidance on the use of PPE and should make PPE available to essential visitors to the custody suite.
Asked by: Baroness Doocey (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what targeted, support they are making available to businesses in National Parks both during and after the lockdown.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
The Government has made available a wide range of support measures to businesses during these unprecedented times. This support is available to businesses in National Parks. These include help with business rates, the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme, the Bounce Back Loan scheme, and the discretionary fund set up to accommodate certain small businesses previously outside the scope of the business grant funds scheme.
The Government has been working with the National Park Authorities (NPAs) from the outset to understand the impacts from Covid-19, ensuring Parks make full use of the existing Government support schemes. We continue to engage closely with each NPA to assess the level of further support required.
Asked by: Baroness Doocey (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker what is the total annual cost of employment for each member excepted from the 20 July 2010 resolution on allowances in the House, by virtue of being salaried, including (1) employer national insurance contributions, (2) employer pension contributions, and (3) any other costs.
Answered by Lord McFall of Alcluith
The employment costs for three Office Holders fall to the House of Lords budget – the Lord Speaker, the Chairman of Committees (also known as the Senior Deputy Speaker) and the Principal Deputy Chairman of Committees (also known as the Chair of the European Union Committee). In the 2019-20 financial year the total annual cost of employment was £382,328. This includes the salaries claimed, the Lords Office Holders Allowance claimed, and other employment costs not received by the office holders themselves, such as employer national insurance contributions and the apprenticeship levy.
Asked by: Baroness Doocey (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the annual cost of employment for each member of the House of Lords salaried under the Ministerial and Other Salaries Act 1975, including (1) employer national insurance contributions, (2) employer pension contributions, and (3) any other costs.
Answered by Lord True - Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
The information requested is not held centrally. The Ministerial and Other Salaries Act 1975 sets out the salary entitlements for different ministerial positions. Information on which ministers are paid a salary and data on the various salary levels are published on gov.uk. The Ministerial and other Pensions and Salaries Act 1991 provides for an allowance for ministerial and other office-holders in the House of Lords, as well provision for determining the Exchequer contribution to be paid into the Parliamentary Contributory Pension Fund. Information relating to national insurance contributions, employer pension contributions and any other costs, including allowances claimed, is not held centrally.