Thank you for contacting me about supporting our pubs during the COVID-19 pandemic.
December is an incredibly important time for the hospitality sector in Wales, with businesses taking up to 25% of annual revenue over the build-up to Christmas. It is therefore incredibly concerning that the First Minister has chosen to implement sweeping restrictions on an industry which has made every effort to introduce “COVID-secure” measures.
Wales is a nation of small, family run businesses and this Welsh Labour-led Government needs to do more to protect both lives and livelihoods. It is incredibly concerning that, according to the spokesman for the Welsh Association of Visitor Attractions, the Welsh Labour-led Government did not consult with tourism leaders before implementing these strict measures.
This latest set of restrictions could have a devastating impact on the Welsh hospitality sector which directly employs 140,000 people and a further 40,000 indirectly. My colleagues and I in the Welsh Conservatives believe that, for the Welsh Government to implement such draconian measures, the First Minister must first provide clear evidence that such steps will reduce the spread of the virus in a meaningful way. This is something that the Welsh Labour-led Government has failed to do.
Furthermore, I am concerned about the consequences that this round of restrictions could have, including an increase in the number of people gathering in their homes in a non-COVID secure manner.
The Welsh Conservatives regret that Welsh Labour-led Government is running the risk of letting business go to the wall by only opening applications for the sector specific financial support in January. Six weeks is far too long for small businesses to be waiting for support especially considering that the Welsh hospitality sector has invested so much to make their businesses COVID secure. It is therefore incredibly worrying that the Welsh Labour-led Government continues to implement disproportionate measures that have damaging consequences.
The Welsh economy needs careful attention and this Welsh Labour-led Government cannot afford to ignore the needs of the hospitality industry.
Thank you again for taking the time to contact me.
Yours sincerely
Mark
time to contact me.