Pat McFadden's speech calling on government to announce a package of business support by end of today

Mr Speaker,

I want to begin by extending my best wishes to my Hon. Friend the Shadow Chancellor as she recovers at home from Covid.

We know where the Shadow Chancellor is, but where is the Chancellor?  

Why did he decide to proceed with a trip to California on Tuesday when it was already clear that UK businesses were struggling to cope with what the Prime Minister himself has called a “tidal wave” of Omicron?

Even if he is abroad Mr Speaker, California is not exactly a communications desert. They have television there Mr Speaker. 

I’ve heard they even have the internet. But still it’s radio silence from the Chancellor. Tumbleweed rolling through the Treasury.

The Treasury says he’s in communication with his officials but what about some communication with businesses who are losing bookings by the hour and watching their December profits vanish into thin air.

Last night the Chief Medical Officer advised the public to “deprioritise social contact”.  

Adherence to that advice will have a clear and direct impact on the hospitality industry, on live music, theatre and other public events across the country.   

The Government documents for Plan B say the decision on economic support will be based on data at the time.

Well that time is now.  

So let me ask the Minister:

1. What measures will the Government take to ensure that those who have to isolate at home have proper sick pay that enables them to follow the rules?
2. What will the Government do to help hospitality businesses affected by the Chief Medical Officer’s advice to deprioritise social contact?
3. Will any support also apply to live music, theatre and other events?
4. What is the Government doing to maintain supply chains should they be affected by staff absences in the coming weeks? 
5. What is the Government’s response to the hospitality industry’s call to maintain VAT rates for the sector at 12.5%? 
6. Will the Government also allow local authorities to release any unused funds that they may have from previous Covid aid packages to support businesses right now? 

The principle here should be that the level of support should match the economic restrictions in place.

This is not about a blank cheque. There has already been enough wasteful spending from the Government in the past two years. 

Any package has to be timely, proportionate and properly targeted - and must also guard against fraud.  

That’s why it needs the full and focussed application of Treasury Ministers and officials.  

We are not in lockdown but it would be totally disingenuous to pretend that businesses can trade normally when the Prime Minister has used a special national broadcast to warn the nation of a tidal wave of Covid infections and the Chief Medical Officer has told us to cut back on social contact.

The Government can’t pretend that nothing has changed. 

This is not the time to abandon them and let them go to the wall.  

So will the Minister commit to announcing a package of support by the end of today – and I mean UK time not California time – that matches the situation British businesses are now facing?