Government

Industry leaders call on nightlife fans to submit evidence to Parliamentary inquiry

22-Jan-2021 By James McAllister

Industry leaders from across the night-time economy have called on the public to take part in a recently launched Parliamentary inquiry into the devastating impact of Covid-19 on British nightlife.

Petitions Committee chair urges Prime Minister to engage with the hospitality sector

22-Jan-2021 By James McAllister

Chair of the Petitions Committee Catherine McKinnell MP, who led last week's Minister for Hospitality debate, has written a letter urging Prime Minister Boris Johnson to engage with the sector.

Chancellor mulls further furlough extension

21-Jan-2021 By James McAllister

Chancellor Rishi Sunak is understood to be weighing up another extension of the Government’s Job Retention Scheme (JRS).

Prezzo's Karen Jones to represent hospitality on Government’s Build Back Better Council

19-Jan-2021 By Restaurant

Prezzo executive chair Karen Jones has been appointed to represent hospitality on the Government’s new Build Back Better Council.

Up to 310,000 jobs on the line across hospitality and tourism without 5% VAT extension

14-Jan-2021 By James McAllister

More than 300,000 jobs across the hospitality and tourism sectors could be lost if the VAT rate reverts back to 20% in April 2021, trade bodies have warned.

PM rejects offer to meet Hospitality Minister campaigners

14-Jan-2021 By James McAllister

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has shrugged off an offer to meet petitioners campaigning for the creation of a Minister of Hospitality.

Scottish Government announces top-up grants for hospitality

12-Jan-2021 By James McAllister

Hospitality businesses in Scotland will receive top-up grants of up to £25,000, the Scottish Government's Finance Secretary Kate Forbes has announced.

Hospitality debate 'a clear and highly encouraging demonstration of strong cross-party support'

12-Jan-2021 By James McAllister

A cross-party group of MPs voiced their support for the creation of a Minister of Hospitality during a Westminster Hall debate yesterday afternoon (11 January).

MPs launch inquiry into Covid-19 impact on night-time economy

11-Jan-2021 By James McAllister

The newly formed All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for the night-time economy has launched an inquiry into the devastating impact of Covid-19 on British nightlife.

Minister for Hospitality petition hits 200,000 signatures as Parliament prepares for debate

11-Jan-2021 By James McAllister

A petition calling on the Government to create a Minister for Hospitality now has more than 200,000 signatures.

UKHospitality calls on members to contact MPs ahead of hospitality debate

07-Jan-2021 By James McAllister

Trade body UKHospitality has called on its members to write to their MPs ahead of a Westminster Hall debate on Government support for hospitality due to take place next week.

'No end date' to lockdown as MPs back new restrictions

07-Jan-2021 By James McAllister

Hospitality venues in England could remain closed until at least the end of March, with Prime Minister Boris Johnson telling MPs the Government will be 'extremely cautious' about lifting restrictions.

Welsh hospitality calls on devolved government to deliver targeted support

06-Jan-2021 By James McAllister

Trade body UKHospitality Cymru has called for Welsh Government to use new funding provided by the Treasury to support the sector and help spark an economic revival.

Refills of sugary soft drinks in restaurants to be banned under new anti-obesity regulations

05-Jan-2021 By James McAllister

Free refills of sugary soft drinks will be prohibited in the eating-out sector from next year under Government plans to tackle obesity.

Sunak announces additional grant funding for hospitality

05-Jan-2021 By James McAllister

Hospitality businesses will receive a one-off grant worth up to £9,000 as part of a new funding package announced by Chancellor Rishi Sunak.

Scottish Government unveils targeted support package for tourism and hospitality

22-Dec-2020 By James McAllister

The Scottish Government has pledged a £104.3m package of support for tourism and hospitality, much of which will be targeted at licensed hospitality businesses that previously fell through the cracks.

Leicestershire County Council pledge to top-up pub grants

21-Dec-2020 By James McAllister

Leicestershire County Council has launched a new scheme that offers a one-off payment of £1,000 to small village pubs unable to open their doors over the festive period.

The Lowdown: Minister for Hospitality

10-Dec-2020 By James McAllister

A petition calling on the Government to create a Minister for Hospitality is gaining momentum, with hundreds of leading chefs and restaurateurs putting their support behind the campaign

Parliamentary group formed to support night-time economy businesses

09-Dec-2020 By James McAllister

A group of cross-party MPs and peers have came together to establish an All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for the night-time economy.

Rent moratoria further extended into March next year

09-Dec-2020 By James McAllister

The Government has confirmed that the lease forfeiture and debt enforcement moratoria will both be extended until the end of March 2021.

Hospitality set to receive additional financial support as rebellion over tougher tier restrictions grows

30-Nov-2020 By James McAllister

The Prime Minister is set to announce that hospitality businesses facing tougher tier restrictions from this week will receive additional financial support from the Government.

Stricter tier system could be introduced this winter to help curb pandemic

17-Nov-2020 By Restaurant

A stricter tier system could come into place once the lockdown in England is lifted following calls from public health officials to act to limit the further spread of Coronavirus.

Total ban of online advertising for unhealthy foods 'risks clobbering takeaways and restaurants'

11-Nov-2020 By James McAllister

Plans for a total ban on online adverts for foods high in fat, sugar and salt (HFSS) 'risks clobbering thousands of takeaways and restaurants', says the British Takeaway Campaign (BTC).

Hospitality leaders call for amendment to Enterprise Investment Scheme to help rebuild sector

11-Nov-2020 By Restaurant

Leaders from the hospitality sector are calling on the Government to adapt the current Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) and Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS) temporarily, which they say will incentivise investors to help rebuild the hospitality...

Relaxed regulations allowing restaurants and pubs to operate as takeaways extended until 2022

09-Nov-2020 By James McAllister

Relaxed regulations that have allowed restaurants and pubs to operate as hot food takeaways during the Coronavirus pandemic have been extended until 2022, Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick has said.

Trade bodies call for six-month investment to secure survival of sector

04-Nov-2020 By James McAllister

Trade bodies representing the UK’s hospitality, pubs and their supply chain businesses have called on the Government to provide a six-month investment plan to secure the future of those sectors.

Government further extends business support loan deadlines in wake of second lockdown

03-Nov-2020 By James McAllister

Application deadlines for the Treasury’s UK-wide programme of business support loans have been further extended following the announcement that England will move back into lockdown from Thursday (5 November)

Trade bodies demand targeted support amid warning second lockdown 'will hurt for years to come'

02-Nov-2020 By James McAllister

Trade bodies have demanded the Government provide hospitality businesses ordered to close this week with financial support that's proportional if not greater than what was available during the first lockdown.

G-A-Y owner 'not giving up' after court refuses to let curfew legal challenge go ahead

29-Oct-2020 By James McAllister

The owner of London’s G-A-Y nightclub in Soho has 'decided not to give up' after a court refused permission for his legal challenge against the 10pm curfew to go ahead.

"It's insulting" - restaurateurs condemn Sunak’s financial package for not going far enough

23-Oct-2020 By James McAllister

Chefs and restaurateurs have said the Chancellor’s latest round of financial measures, designed to help support the hospitality sector, will simply not be enough to save businesses.

Sunak unveils new financial support for businesses facing tighter restrictions

22-Oct-2020 By James McAllister

Chancellor Rishi Sunak has set out a series of financial measures that seeks to help businesses operating under tighter restrictions, including a cash grant scheme targeted at the hospitality sector.

Sunak set to introduce Tier 2 finance support

22-Oct-2020 By Finn Scott-Delany

Chancellor Rishi Sunak is expected to announce new financial support for hospitality businesses in areas operating under Tier 2 Coronavirus restrictions, such as London and Birmingham.

Loophole suggests 'working lunches' could be exempt from tougher Coronavirus restrictions

20-Oct-2020 By James McAllister

An apparent loophole has emerged in the Government's Coronavirus alert level restrictions that suggests working lunches could still be allowed despite bans on people from different households mixing.

Hospitality industry to stage London protest over Coronavirus restrictions

15-Oct-2020 By James McAllister

Members of the hospitality industry will converge on Parliament Square next week to peacefully protest the restrictions being imposed on businesses in the sector.

Curfew passes Commons vote despite Tory rebellion

14-Oct-2020 By James McAllister

A parliamentary vote on regulations linked to the 10pm curfew for pubs and restaurants in England has been won by the Government, despite aggressive opposition from backbench Tory MPs.

G-A-Y owner pushes ahead with curfew legal challenge after 'dither and delay' by Government

09-Oct-2020 By James McAllister

The owner of London’s G-A-Y nightclub in Soho is to proceed with his a legal challenge against the Government's 10pm curfew on hospitality businesses.

Ministers accused of using 'cobbled together' statistics to justify hospitality closures

09-Oct-2020 By James McAllister

MPs claim to have been shown 'meaningless' figures during a presentation by Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty to help 'retrospectively' prove need for closures of hospitality venues in the north.

Two thirds of hospitality operators will collapse in six months without support, says poll

09-Oct-2020 By Stefan Chomka

Almost two thirds of hospitality operators now don’t believe they can survive the next six months of a 10pm curfew, according to the latest weekly Hospitality Leaders Poll.

Pre-pack sales to face mandatory independent scrutiny

08-Oct-2020 By James McAllister

New laws will require mandatory independent scrutiny of pre-pack administration sales where connected parties - such as the insolvent company’s existing directors or shareholders - are involved in the purchase.

Hospitality in north of England face fresh restrictions with closures likely

08-Oct-2020 By James McAllister

Prime Minister Boris Johnson is drawing up plans to impose further Coronavirus lockdown restrictions on pubs and restaurants across the north of England, with closures likely in many areas.

MPs told of ‘severe and devastating impact’ of curfew

07-Oct-2020 By Finn Scott-Delany

UKHospitality CEO Kate Nicholls has urged MPs to rethink the 10pm curfew, saying it was “crippling hospitality businesses”.

Government delays curfew vote amid Tory rebellion

07-Oct-2020 By James McAllister

The Government has been forced to delay a parliamentary vote on the 10pm curfew in the face of growing backbench opposition to the measure.

Night-time economy pleads for further support after curfew prompts mass redundancies

06-Oct-2020 By James McAllister

A perfect storm of strict operating restrictions and lack of targeted financial support has led to mass job cuts across the night-time economy.

Tory rebels look to call time on curfew

06-Oct-2020 By James McAllister

The end of the 10pm curfew imposed on hospitality businesses could be in sight after rebel Conservatives said they can muster the votes needed to overturn the Government's majority.

G-A-Y nightclub owner launches legal challenge against 10pm curfew

05-Oct-2020 By James McAllister

The owner of London’s G-A-Y nightclub in Soho is to launch a legal challenge against the Government’s 10pm curfew.

The Lowdown: music in restaurants

01-Oct-2020 By Restaurant

Music has become the latest casualty in the fight against Coronavirus, with restaurants and pubs no longer allowed to crank up the sound system.

Hospitality businesses demand PM do more to help sector or face 'devastating' job losses

30-Sep-2020 By James McAllister

More than 100 UK hospitality businesses from across the sector have written directly to Prime Minister Boris Johnson warning that he must personally do more to help them.

Calls grow for Government to review 'hard' curfew on hospitality

28-Sep-2020 By James McAllister

Pressure is mounting on the Government to review its 'hard' 10pm curfew on hospitality businesses amid criticism the new rules are leading to people filling the streets en masse after visiting restaurants and pubs.

'Horror and despair' as night-time economy shut out from winter support package

25-Sep-2020 By James McAllister

Night-time economy businesses have been left 'in exile' after the Chancellor's Winter Economy Plan failed to contain any extra support for late-night operators that still remain closed.

Chancellor's measures "don't go far enough" for hospitality sector

24-Sep-2020 By Restaurant

The pub and restaurant sectors have called for more support from the Government to safeguard jobs following the Chancellor’s announcement of his Winter Economy Plan.