The Chamber network has welcomed the Chancellor’s announcement of a £1bn fund to support hospitality businesses which have been hit by a loss of bookings in the wake of the latest rise in COVID cases and Government advice to limit socialising.
Rishi Sunak unveiled a £1bn fund including cash grants of up to £6,000 per premises for each eligible firm.
He said the Government would also help certain firms with the cost of sick pay for COVID-related absences.
The Chancellor also announced an extra £30m to help theatres and museums.
Shevaun Haviland, Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce, said: “These measures will provide some welcome respite to many of those businesses who have been hit hardest by the latest Covid measures.
“The Chancellor and his team have engaged with us in talks over the past week, considered the experiences of Chamber business communities and the proposals we put to them.
“We are pleased that the Chancellor heard our call for additional grant funding for hospitality and leisure businesses, which will provide some much-needed support in the face of this increasingly difficult trading period. Clarity and speed will be needed to ensure that these grants are paid out swiftly to help these hard-pressed firms weather the next few weeks.
“While these measures are a positive starting point, if restrictions persist or are tightened further, then we would need to see a wider support package, equal to the scale of any new measures, put in place.”
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