Context
Mr Snowden highlighted the impact of changes to national insurance and upcoming business rates on local pubs, citing specific examples such as the Queens, Hop Shoppe, Hand & Dagger, and Thatched House. He noted that while some announced changes are welcome, they do not fully mitigate cost increases facing pubs.
Question
From the Queens in Lytham to the Hop Shoppe in St Annes, Fylde is blessed with many wonderful pubs, but they were hit very hard by the changes to national insurance, and the looming business rates changes that will hit them hard have many of them worried. Some of the changes that have been announced are welcome but will not go as far as mitigating all the cost increases that pubs are facing. What more plans do the Government have to support such pubs?
Answer from Chris Bryant (Minister of State, Department for Business and Trade)
We are fully aware of the problems that pubs and live music venues have been facing for a considerable period of time. For live music venues, we have been trying to encourage arena tickets to put an extra £1 on the ticket, on a voluntary basis, so as to be able to support live music venues. I am conscious that over the years many pubs have closed; some 7,000 pubs closed in the previous 14 years under the previous Administration, which is something like one every 14 hours. We are conscious of the problems and want to do everything we can to help.
Not addressed: The minister did not provide specific new plans for mitigating cost increases faced by local pubs in Fylde, but acknowledged past closures and a voluntary ticketing scheme for live music venues.
Was this summary accurate? Tell us
How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)