Business of the House

Marion Fellows Excerpts

Thursday 25th March 2021 Commons Chamber

[Mr Rees-Mogg]

My hon. Friend reminds us that, historically, marriages did not take place during Lent, and therefore took place immediately after Lent. She is right to say that spring is a time when people want to get married and the weather is better for their celebrations. I can assure her that the Minister for Small Business, my hon. Friend the Member for Sutton and Cheam (Paul Scully), is regularly in contact with the industry-led weddings taskforce, established to represent all parts of the UK wedding sector, to understand the effect of the pandemic on jobs and businesses.

Over the course of the pandemic, the Government have provided an unprecedented package of financial support to businesses, including those in the wedding industry, and that is kept under regular review. I understand that the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has further discussions planned with the industry-led weddings taskforce to appreciate the sector’s concerns and help it through the reopening period.

Over 28 million people in the UK have received their first dose of the vaccine, increasing the likelihood that restrictions will be eased at each step of the road map, including restrictions on weddings, but I sympathise very much with what my hon. Friend says and the representations she makes on behalf of her constituents. She is right to say that the wedding industry has been particularly badly affected by the pandemic, and it is important that it can get back to normal as soon as is practicable, in accordance with the road map.

[Marion Fellows (Motherwell and Wishaw) (SNP) [V]]

The UK Government have promised to publish their national strategy for disabled people this spring and have consulted the public and committed to listening further. Given how all-encompassing this strategy will be, can we have an interim statement on the general direction of the strategy, informed by their survey, ahead of publication, so that Members can debate the intended strategy and provide further input on behalf of our constituents?

[Mr Rees-Mogg]

The hon. Lady is right to mention the national strategy for disabled people. Spring has only just sprung—we are only a very few days into it—so the intention is still very much to publish it in spring. In terms of parliamentary time, with the recess that is coming up and the end of the Session in sight, I fear that I cannot promise her the debate that she asks for in Government time, but it may well be a subject for an Adjournment debate, or indeed the Backbench Business Committee may be able to slot it in on one of its remaining days.