Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he has had recent discussions with representatives of the hospitality industry on the potential impact of increased labour costs on that sector.

I regularly engage with hospitality businesses, and I am aware of the current challenges they face. Raising the revenue required to fund public services and restore economic stability requires difficult decisions on tax, which is why we are asking employers to contribute more through National Insurance contributions. However, we are raising the threshold at which employers start paying NI to protect the smallest businesses.

Also, we are committed to creating a fairer business rates system to alleviate the pressure on hospitality businesses by introducing permanently lower business rates for RHL properties with a rateable value under £500,000.