The press is reporting that chancellor Rishi Sunak will unveil new grants in Wednesday’s Budget to help non-essential retail and hospitality.
£5 billion in cash grants will be administered through local authorities in England. Hospitality businesses which have to wait longer to re-open would be able to claim up to £18,000.
There will be an extra £794m in funding for businesses in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Another £15bn will be set aside to extend furlough and other support measures until the end of June.
The chancellor told The Mail on Sunday: “It’s been an incredibly difficult year for our high streets. But soon shops, pubs, cafés and restaurants will be able to open their doors once again, and we’re providing the support they need to get them through, get them back on their feet, and get the tills ringing once again.”
The news of further grants was welcomed by UKHospitality chief executive, Kate Nicholls, who said they woud be great news for owners who were wondering how their businesses could survive until the end of lockdown. “Cash reserves have been severely depleted after a year of closure and restrictions, and these grants are a very welcome boost.”
However, Dermot King, chief executive of Oakman Inns, told BBC News: “These little crumbs of acknowledgement and these little grants that come out really probably less than cover the cost of shutting for one month, and that might be some help for some small businesses to get re-opening, but the truth is the damage that has been done to balance sheets is very very severe and will need a much more substantial package than this.”
Hospitality leaders are hoping the budget will also include an extension to the business rates holiday, the furlough scheme, and the temporary reduction in VAT.
Today sees the launch of the next phase of the #PubsMatter campaign, with drinkers taking to social media to call on Chancellor Rishi Sunak to rescue pubs with an emergency package of support. Thousands of social media posts and emails have flooded MPs’ inboxes describing how integral the local pub is to their communities.
The #PubsMatter campaign was launched in December by a coalition of industry partners, including the British Institute of Innkeeping, the Campaign for Real Ale, the British Beer and Pub Association, the Society of Independent Brewers, the Independent Family Brewers of Britain,) and UKHospitality, to remind politicians just how important pubs are to local communities across the UK.
