Commons Sense

House of Commons · Westminster Hall

Night-time Economy: Hertfordshire

12 July 2022 · 0 other contributors · 2,794 words

Opened by Dean Russell Con Watford

Responding minister: Jane Hunt

EconomyEmploymentBusiness & Trade

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

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Dean Russell raised concerns about night-time economy: hertfordshire in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.

Key points

  • The situation in Watford regarding the potential closure of Pryzm nightclub is worrying due to its long-standing operation and support for local businesses and community activities.
  • The MP requests government actions to support Pryzm and the night-time economy, including potential support packages and encouragement for councils to preserve vital community parts.
  • The minister acknowledges the importance of preserving commercial areas for the health of local economies and communities.

Key requests to Government

The MP requests what actions can be taken to support Pryzm nightclub and the wider night-time economy, including potential support packages or encouragement from councils not to close vital parts of the community. He also inquires about ongoing government efforts to support the night-time economy's future, creative industries, and small businesses.

How the debate unfolded

MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.

Opened the debate

Dean Russell Con Watford

The situation in Watford is worrying due to the potential closure of Pryzm nightclub, which would impact the local night-time economy. The club has been operating for nearly 40 years and supports an ecosystem that includes local restaurants, bars, food outlets, takeaway places, and taxi trade, all dependent on thousands of weekly visitors. Closing Pryzm could result in a domino effect of closures impacting high streets, tourism, trade, and opportunities. Additionally, the club is crucial for mental wellbeing, community building, and charity work such as supporting local charities like Watford Mencap.

Government Response

Jane Hunt

It is a pleasure to stand before you for my first Westminster Hall debate, Mr Hollobone. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Watford (Dean Russell) on securing this important debate. Clearly, this is an important issue for him and his constituents. Providing new homes to ease pressure on the housing market is obviously important. It is also important to preserve commercial areas, which are fundamental to the health of local economies and communities. Hospitality, alongside retail, personal care and leisure, is part of an ecosystem that underpins healthy local economies and communities. This ecosystem includes a symbiotic relationship between businesses operating during the day and evening, and businesses operating into the night. Levelling up for most parts of the country will involve improving productivity and economic growth by encouraging innovation, creating good jobs, enhancing educational attainment, and renovating the social and cultural fabric of the UK. Nationally, hospitality employs 2.4 million people, and there are 167,000 hospitality businesses, creating £83 billion in revenue in 2021. I welcome the introduction of my hon. Friend's private Member's Bill. Ensuring that tips go to workers is the right thing to do. We are working to make permanent many of the regulatory easements introduced during the pandemic and have published the first ever hospitality strategy, which set out our ambition for the recovery and future resilience of the sector. I congratulate my hon. Friend on securing this important debate and giving us an opportunity to discuss this issue in Parliament.

▸ Assessment & feedback
Summary accuracy