North Wales MS Mark Isherwood has today called on the Welsh Government to provide support for the “desperate” wedding businesses in North Wales who have warned they will not survive the Covid-19 pandemic unless help is provided soon.
Mr Isherwood raised the matter in today’s ‘hybrid’ Plenary meeting of the Welsh Parliament when questioning the Minister for Economy, Transport and North Wales, Ken Skates MS, over how the Welsh Government is supporting businesses in North Wales to reopen as a result of the pandemic.
In his question, Mr Isherwood quoted a number of North Wales wedding businesses which have contacted him in recent weeks pleading for support from the Welsh Government.
Speaking via ‘Zoom’ from his home in North Wales, Mr Isherwood said:
“Wedding business people tell me:
“Time is very quickly running out for wedding venues and the wedding industry as a whole.”
“In a survey of Welsh wedding venues, 86% said that clarity and a road map or timetable was of utmost importance to the survival of their business.”
“Virtually every other sector has been given permission to open up and large indoor wedding celebrations are allowed throughout most of Europe and now even in Northern Ireland.”
“Without an announcement very quickly the situation for many venues will be irrecoverable.”
“I find the apparent lack of interest in the wedding industry in Wales absolutely extraordinary.”
“We just don’t have the time left to talk endlessly with no result. There are so many jobs and businesses on the line and yet with the correct management and messaging they could all so easily be saved.”
“How do you respond to them?”
In his reply the Minister stated: “We are acutely aware of the difficulties facing wedding venues. As a direct result of having a Welsh Government, and having a Wales-only economic resilience fund, tens of millions of pounds - approximately £55 million, to be accurate - has been applied for by businesses in North Wales”.
Other wedding businesses have told Mr Isherwood:
“We are on a knife edge and whilst there is talk of trying to salvage something of the summer tourist industry in Wales wedding venues are being completely left out of the conversation. At present there is no communication at all with our industry.
“We desperately need some positive announcement that weddings are on the agenda or we will not survive.”
“The Association of British Wedding Businesses (ABWB) are working to come up with a safe way of operating.”
“I am writing to you ( again) in a state of desperation ….. I don’t believe we are any clearer about the position in Wales.”
“Bearing in mind that the industry needs the very minimum of two months between an announcement and the reality of actually putting weddings on.”
“We have literally run out of time.”
Speaking after the meeting, Mr Isherwood added:
“Some of these businesses have also written to the Minister directly and they deserve to be treated seriously, urgently and with respect.
“Yet again this ’Faux Tiggerish’ Minister chose to self-congratulate rather than address the very serious pleas for help from very desperate businesses in North Wales.”