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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent discussions his Department has had with representatives of the hospitality industry on (a) rising energy bills, (b) labour shortages and (c) rising food and drink prices.

This Department launched the Hospitality Sector Council to oversee the delivery of the Hospitality Strategy in July 2021 to support the sector across a range of policy areas, grouped into three themes: Reopening, Recovery, and Resilience. The Council last met on 18 July and is scheduled to meet on 24 October.

Between meetings, council members provide regular insights and data on the energy challenges faced by businesses, informing the development of Government support including the Energy Bill Relief Scheme. The Government engages regularly with hospitality businesses and organisations to understand the pressing issues and challenges that they face, including cost pressures, supply chain disruptions and the impact of rising energy prices on businesses of all sizes.