Thank you for contacting me about support for hospitality businesses.
I know that many hospitality businesses in Hastings and Rye are experiencing challenges as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, and I sympathise with any employee who may be facing redundancy during this difficult time.
I appreciate that the latest restrictions in England announced on 31 October will come as a blow to many hospitality businesses, including pubs, restaurants and cafes operating in Hastings and Rye. This decision was not taken lightly and I have been assured that restrictions will remain under regular review. I know that many are keen to reopen in time for the Christmas period and I continue to raise industry-specific concerns with Ministerial colleagues.
To help support hospitality businesses through this difficult time, I welcome that decisive action has been taken and businesses have benefited from a combination of grants, funds and a business rates holiday. This has included business interruption loans, bounce back loans and the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) which has supported 1.4 million hospitality jobs. I also welcome the Prime Minister's decision to extend the CJRS in light of the additional restrictions in place from 5 November.
I know that the Chancellor is keeping the situation under close review to ensure that the most effective support can be made available when necessary, and I will continue to follow any developments closely.
Thank you again for taking the time to contact me about this very important issue.
Sally-Ann Hart MP