Ahead of a possible vote in Parliament today, UKHospitality has urged MP’s to rethink the 10pm curfew which is crippling hospitality businesses.
UKHospitality MP’s curfew vote
Giving evidence to the House of Commons Treasury Committee yesterday, UKHospitality CEO, Kate Nicholls highlighted the damaging effect the restriction has had on a sector which is already on the brink.
Declining revenues since the introduction of the curfew have already led to business closures, with the increased potential for further failures. Staff shifts have had to be removed to accommodate the early closing time, putting workers at further risk of job losses.
The lack of a staggered closing time in England and Scotland has also created a potentially dangerous pinch point as customers are forced to leave venues en masse.
UKHospitality has called for a complete rethink of the curfew which is crippling a sector already struggling to survive and repeated calls for a comprehensive package of support to safeguard businesses and jobs.
Kate Nicholls, CEO, UKHospitalitySpeaking after the session, UKHospitality CEO, Kate Nicholls said: “The introduction of the curfew has had a severe and devastating impact.
“Businesses are feeling the cumulative impact of all the restrictions placed on them, but they have really suffered since the introduction of the curfew. The curfew has wiped away revenue from businesses that were only just clinging on. For many, it has tipped them into financial unviability.
“The Regulatory impact on businesses needs to be considered, particularly when so low a number of outbreaks are linked to hospitality. We urge the Government to rethink the curfew so that it can deliver the public health objective without damaging businesses and risking further job losses. We also need an immediate and comprehensive package of support to keep businesses alive and prevent redundancies on a large scale.”
We can only endorse the call on MP’s from Kate Nicholls and hope they not only hear the message loud and clear, they vote accordingly.
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Hospitality & Catering News: UKHospitality MP’s curfew vote – 7 October 2020 – UKHospitality MP’s curfew vote
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