Recommendation 17

HM Government · verbatim extract Acknowledged

The Government has published COVID-secure guidance for restaurants, pubs, bars and takeaway services to help these establishments to minimise the risk of infection and protect customers and staff. New restrictions that came into force on 24 September on operating hours and social distancing for hospitality businesses are in response to a significant increase in the spread of COVID-19. In developing these measures the Government has acted on the evidence of the spread of the disease while taking a proportionate approach to the impact on industry. The measures allow hospitality to remain open for the majority of the evening while reducing the risk that compliance with social distancing measures breaks down. To help drive demand the government also launched the Eat Out to Help Out scheme which significantly increased restaurant bookings during August. We are pleased to see the positive impact this has had on the sector. Through our comprehensive Plan for Jobs we have put in place a wider package of hospitality support that goes beyond the summer, including cutting VAT to 5%, paying the wages of furloughed staff, business rates relief and billions in tax deferrals and loans – all helping to protect nearly 2 million jobs in the hospitality and tourism industries. Conclusion and Recommendation 18: The hospitality and foodservice sectors may take over a year to recover from forced closure and further financial difficulties are likely. The Government should work with producers, processors and wholesalers to understand their concerns and monitor the health of food and drink suppliers, particularly SMEs, over the next 18 months as supply chains restart. In its response to this Report, the Government should include a plan for how it intends to support food and drink suppliers to the hospitality and foodservice sector during this turbulent time.