Thank you for writing to me, and for raising your concerns about the impact of pandemic restrictions on our pubs.
I entirely share the dismay of many publicans that we again find ourselves in lockdown. Teignbridge has consistently had amongst the lowest rates of coronavirus per 100,000 in all of England, so it feels cruelly misjudged to restrict our lives and the trade of our businesses so brutally once again. That is why I voted against the most recent national lockdown measures, which in my view do not reflect the fact that the virus is impacting different parts of the country differently.
I have been am pleased to see a continuation of support to businesses, particularly in the form of grants of up to £4000 for businesses forced to close during the lockdown. However, I know of many local publicans and other business owners in the hospitality sector who have not been satisfied by the help the Government has provided thus far. This is particularly true of our 'wet-led' pubs that were not helped by schemes like Eat Out to Help Out
I will continue to lobby for support for those businesses that Government support has not sufficiently helped. In common with other MPs across the South West, I believe that government support for our hospitality industries must go further. I have therefore lobbyied ministers for the following additional measures:
- Extending the business rate relief threshold up to £150,000 to widen access to support, and extending its duration
- Offering a quarterly or yearly VAT rebate for 2018-19 to give businesses further direct support
- Extending the VAT cut for hospitality businesses
- Adopting case-by-case tailored support to hospitality businesses that can struggle to access support at the moment
- Allowing pubs to sell alcohol in sealed containers so that they can trade on an even footing with off-licences and supermarkets
We must continue to stick together (virtually), reach out for help if we need it and try our best to look positively towards the eventual light at the end of this tunnel.
