To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the
Secretary of State for Health and Social Care's Oral Statement on 6 December 2021
on Covid-19 Update, Official Report, columns 56-58, if sector-specific support will
be made available to the travel and tourism sector affected by the introduction of
covid-19 travel restrictions.
<p>The Government has put in place a measured and proportionate set of restrictions
to continue to support the tourism sector and slow the spread of the new Omicron variant.
To support businesses through this next phase, the ‘Working Safely’ guidance will
continue to provide advice on sensible precautions employers can take to manage risk
and support their staff and customers.</p><p>In other tourism sectors, such as hospitality,
the guidance says that businesses are exempt from enforcing customers to wear masks
and this assessment has been made from a practical point of view as the nature of
hospitality visits is to eat and drink.</p><p>The Government has continued to provide
support to the tourism sector throughout the pandemic. The latest budget announcement
included a new temporary business rates relief for over 90% of eligible retail, hospitality
and leisure businesses in England which will cut at least 50% off their business rates
bills during the 2022-23 period which is worth almost £1.7 billion.</p><p>The arts
and culture sector can still access support from the £2 billion Culture Recovery Fund
and Sports Recovery Package, the Film and TV Production Restart Scheme in place until
30 April 2022. While the £800m Live Events Reinsurance Scheme is giving events across
the country the confidence needed for organisers to plan for the future.</p><p>The
Health Secretary was clear these new COVID-19 measures are temporary, the government
will keep these measures under review and set out detail shortly.</p><p> </p>
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what additional
support she will give to the tourist sector in response to covid-19 restrictions on
travel to the UK.
<p>The Government has put in place a measured and proportionate set of restrictions
to continue to support the tourism sector. To support businesses through this next
phase, the ‘Working Safely’ guidance will continue to provide advice on sensible precautions
employers can take to manage risk and support their staff and customers.</p><p>Hospitality
businesses are exempt from enforcing customers to wear masks and this assessment has
been made from a practical point of view as the nature of hospitality visits is to
eat and drink.</p><p>The Government has worked to strike a balance with introducing
new measures.</p><p>The Government has introduced a new temporary business rates relief
in England for eligible retail, hospitality and leisure properties for 2022-23, worth
almost £1.7 billion. The VAT rate for goods and services supplied by the tourism and
hospitality sector has also been cut, and will remain at the reduced rate of 12.5%
until 31 March 2022, to help businesses manage the transition back to the standard
rate.</p><p>The recent changes demonstrate the government’s focus on protecting the
UK from the most dangerous variants while supporting the travel sector’s safe reopening.</p><p>We
are continuing to listen to stakeholders during this time.</p><p> </p>
