Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if she will make an assessment of the implications for her policies of trends in the level of growth of the hospitality sector in the period since the end of covid-19 restrictions.

We are working closely with the Hospitality Sector Council, a collaboration between government and the hospitality sector, to deliver the 2021 Hospitality Strategy, with the aim of building the sector’s long-term resilience. A Delivery Report showing progress made was published in March.

The Council’s business-led working groups are considering ways to improve business resilience following the pandemic, including innovation and sustainable practices, energy efficiency, jobs and skills, local partnerships and improving access to finance.

ONS inflation-adjusted data shows that the aggregate output of the hospitality sector in March 2023 was 0.4% above March 2022 levels, when most COVID-19 related restrictions were lifted. Output in the 12-months to March 2023 was 7.1% above 2019 levels.