Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will increase the financial support available for the hospitality sector in tier 3 covid-19 restriction areas.

We are providing hospitality businesses in Tier 3 areas with a wide package of support to help them through the current crisis. This includes the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, government-backed loans, Local Restrictions Support Grants and additional funding provided to Local Authorities to support businesses.

We have extended the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme until March 2021, where small and large employers will be eligible to apply for a Government grant of 80% of workers’ salaries up to £2,500 a month.

Businesses can continue to access our loan schemes, now extended, defer VAT payments previously due in March, and benefit from business rates holidays, a moratorium on eviction for commercial tenants and the Statutory Sick Pay Rebate Scheme. We have also made available grants of up to £3,000 for businesses required to close in the current period of national restrictions, and businesses required to remain closed in Tier 2 or Tier 3 will receive the same level of support.

Grants are also available from the Local Restrictions Support Grant (Open) scheme, which is a discretionary fund to support businesses which are not legally closed but severely impacted Tier 2 and Tier 3 restrictions, with funding of up to £2,100 per 28 days.

On 1 December, my Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister announced an additional £1,000 Christmas grant for ‘wet-led pubs’ in tiers 2 and 3.