This afternoon, we held a debate on support for live events and weddings during COVID-19 following substantial interest and several parliamentary e-petitions.
As a member of the Petitions Committee, which granted parliamentary time for these issues to be raised, I was pleased to have the opportunity to lead the debate, and to introduce the debate under the chairmanship of Mr James Gray MP, under whom it was a pleasure to serve.
E-petition 329339 related to the number of guests permitted at weddings during the coronavirus pandemic, and e-petition 332789 related to support for nightclubs, festivals and the live events industry. Both are key issues that many of my constituents have raised with me, and I know personally just what the impact can be. My own wedding to my partner Jed was scheduled for earlier this year, but unfortunately - like for so many people across the country - coronavirus put paid to that. We have now rescheduled for next year, but I learnt more about wedding insurance and its limitations - and what happens when you don't have it - than I ever thought would be necessary, and I know just how traumatic these cancellations have been. Not just to the happy couple hoping to tie the knot, and all their guests - friends, family, and loved ones - but also to the wedding industry itself, which has found itself uprooted and trying to survive.
Similarly, the COVID-19 restrictions have a huge impact on our cultural sector, particularly for clubs, festivals, gigs, and the wider live events industry such as theatres like the Cryer Arts Centre in Carshalton. I've been in regular contact with the directors at the Cryer throughout lockdown, and I know how much effort they have gone to in order to become COVID-secure, and to reopen safely. Sadly for many other venues across the country, particularly some of the bigger clubs in our larger cities - like The Grand, XOYO, or Heaven here in London - normality is still a ways away. I'm also acutely aware of the how much the wider night-time economy adds to UK Plc: some £66bn a year, and employing 1.3 million people here in the UK. It is vital that it is supported, and in a position to reopen as quickly as possible once the virus is under control and the vaccine is widely available.
Prior to the new national lockdown a survey was commissioned by the Night Time Industries Association and its members, and some pretty devastating statistics came out of it: 72 per cent of businesses said they were unable to open or trade; 58 per cent feared that they would not survive longer than two months after a job retention scheme came to an end; and 71 per cent said they were set to make more than half their workforce redundant. Just a third said that they were able to repurpose. The average cost of repurposing was anywhere between £10,000 and £30,000, and 84 per cent of businesses were achieving only 10-50 per cent of their normal trade. That was on top of growing concerns about the implementation of a 10pm curfew. The night-time economy was seen by many as being the target of restrictions despite evidence from Public Health England indicating that infection transmission in hospitality was only about 4 per cent. The danger was that the curfew could drive people to congregate in the streets, in mass gatherings outside, or even to continue their night in unsafe, unregulated and illegal gatherings behind closed doors.
I have spoken to people from hospitality businesses in Carshalton and Wallington, who have expressed similar concerns. Thankfully, loyal customers came back to popular local businesses such as the Ginger Italian and the Duke’s Head, once hospitality was allowed to reopen partially. However, the 10pm curfew was felt to be stunting their ability to recover. There have been further concerns about the adequate allocation of support grants and packages.
In both the cases that I spoke about in the debate, I urge the Government to look carefully at the concerns raised by the industry and at what support could be made available in the short term. Most importantly, for weddings and for live events, I urge them to set out a clear road map for reopening, so that businesses can begin to bounce back.
You can read a full transcript of the debate here, or you can watch my opening remarks above.
