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

To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to support the restaurant and hospitality sector as the restrictions in place to address the COVID-19 pandemic are lifted.

The Government have engaged with hospitality businesses to discuss various issues around reopening, including financial issues. This Department’s ministerial team are in weekly contact with the industry.

We have now published new guidance for pubs, restaurants, and bars which can be found at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/working-safely-during-coronavirus-covid-19. This supports my Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister’s announcement on 23 June for their reopening from 4 July. The guidance was developed following consultation with representatives from the industry.

The Government has also conducted a comprehensive review of the 2m social distancing rule and from 4 July, our advice is changing to state that people should either stay 2m apart or ‘1m plus’ – which is one metre plus mitigations.

Where businesses need to operate at 1m to be viable they should do so, provided they put in place the appropriate mitigations.