Emma McClarkin, CEO of the British Beer and Pub
Association, said: “We are pleased the government has
listened to our concerns, and those of publicans, consumers and
MPs who rallied to defend our locals. This pub specific package
will stave off the immediate financial threat posed by
accelerating business costs and will help keep the doors open for
many.
“This additional support will provide certainty for tens of
thousands of pubs, with many seeing their bills frozen or falling
and there will be a sigh of relief from landlords across the
country.
“We will now work closely with government to establish a
transformative long-term plan that works for all pubs through
permanent business rates reform to ensure they remain at the
heart of communities.”
Heineken / star pubs: “Although we will need to
fully digest the detail, this announcement is a huge boost for
pubs and will ease the immediate concerns of publicans up and
down the country. I am pleased that the Chancellor has clearly
listened to the many Star Pubs licensees who expressed their
objections to the plans published at the Budget. This support is
a welcome acknowledgement of the pub as the cornerstone of
British society, and we are committed to working with the
Treasury in the coming weeks and months. This support means
publicans and their staff are able to focus on the day job –
running great pubs at the hearts of their communities.”
Anna Leach, Chief Economist at the Institute of
Directors, said:“The Institute of Directors welcomes
today's decision by the government to provide targeted business
rates relief for pubs, recognising the intense pressures facing
this sector. This support will offer much-needed breathing space
for businesses grappling with rising costs and tight margins.
“More broadly, the business rates system remains in urgent need
of reform to address the disincentives to investment embedded in
the current framework, and we welcome the government's commitment
to take action in this area.
“That said, stronger policy design at an earlier stage would
deliver greater benefits for business confidence, planning and
costs. We reiterate our call for more detailed, sector-by-sector
analysis of the impacts of tax changes to be undertaken alongside
each Budget. This would allow concerns to surface earlier in the
process, enabling risks to be identified and addressed before
they crystallise.”
Michelle Ovens CBE, CEO & Founder, Small Business
Britain: “It is good to see the Government widen the
business rates support available to pubs and music venues -
many small, independent establishments will undoubtedly welcome
this additional headroom. We also look forward to supporting the
work of the newly announced High Street Strategy to ensure
retail, leisure and hospitality businesses can thrive. Given the
crucial role these sectors play at the heart of local communities
it is vital small businesses are given as much support as
possible and that we see swift action taken to address existing
issues. The long-overdue work to reform the business rates
system, which the government has already committed to and
reaffirmed today, will be especially key."
Kate Nicholls, Chair of UKHospitality, said: “We
welcome the recognition by the Prime Minister and the Chancellor
of the scale of the challenges facing the hospitality sector.
They have listened to us about the acute cost challenges facing
businesses, all of which is impacting business viability, jobs
and consumer prices.
“The rising cost of doing business and business rates increases
is a hospitality-wide problem that needs a hospitality-wide
solution. The Government's immediate review of hospitality
valuations going forward is clear recognition of this.
“The devil will be in the detail, but we need to see pace and
urgency to deliver the reform desperately needed to reduce
hospitality's tax burden, drive demand, and protect jobs and
growth. We will work with the Government over the next six months
to hold their feet to the fire to deliver this.
“This emergency announcement to provide additional funding is
helpful to address an acute challenge facing pubs.
“The reality remains that we still have restaurants and hotels
facing severe challenges from successive Budgets. They need to
see substantive solutions that genuinely reduce their costs.
“Without that clear action, they will face increasingly tough
decisions on business viability, jobs and prices for consumers.
Those are costs borne by us all, and I hope the Government
delivers on its promise to support the whole hospitality sector.”
