Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Hospitality Sector: Scotland

Thursday 14 September 2023 · 2 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 1 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Ministerial support for Scotland's hospitality sector is provided via the energy bills discount scheme.
  • Deidre Brock inquired about recent discussions with Cabinet colleagues and the Scottish Government on hospitality support.
  • The Scottish Government faces criticism for the challenges hospitality businesses face in Scotland.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Deidre Brock SNP
Scotland Brexit Business & Trade
Context

The Scottish hospitality sector faces challenges including inflationary pressures, labour and skill shortages, and complex trading rules with EU countries post-Brexit.

Question

Whether she has had recent discussions with (a) Cabinet colleagues and (b) the Scottish Government on support for Scotland's hospitality sector. The hospitality sector plays a crucial role in Scotland's economy but faces unique challenges due to inflationary pressures, labour shortages, and complex trading rules post-Brexit.

Answer from Kevin Hollinrake

As the hon. Member will be aware, hospitality support is devolved. We continue to provide energy support via the energy bills discount scheme, benefiting hospitality businesses across the UK. I would be happy to meet her and any of her colleagues to see how we can help hospitality businesses across the whole UK.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Minister did not address whether discussions have taken place with Cabinet colleagues or the Scottish Government specifically.

How: Changed Subject, Provided General Support Statement

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Q2 Deidre Brock SNP
Economy Scotland Brexit
Context

The Scottish hospitality sector faces challenges including inflationary pressures, labour and skill shortages, and complex trading rules with EU countries post-Brexit.

Question

That is excellent to hear, because the hospitality sector plays a crucial role in Scotland's economy, but it has consistently been let down by the UK Government, who repeatedly fail to support the industry with the unique challenges it faces. Businesses across Scotland are grappling with inflationary pressures, labour and skill shortages and the ever-increasing complexity of trading rules with 27 countries we once traded with freely. Why will the Minister not accept that Brexit lies at the heart of these problems?

Answer from Kevin Hollinrake

If the hon. Lady looks again, she will find that the Scottish Government lie at the heart of these problems. In England, all eligible businesses can get 75% relief on their rates, subject to a cap of £110,000, while in Scotland, rates relief is available only to small businesses and could be as low as between 25% and 0% for individual properties with rateable values from £15,000. There is far more support available for English businesses than for Scottish businesses.

Not addressed: The Minister did not address why he does not accept that Brexit is the root cause of the problems faced by Scotland's hospitality sector.

How: Attacked Scottish Government, Provided Statistics On Rate Relief Differences

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