Andrew provided the following update after he raised a question at PMQs today on the issue of pubs and the Covid tier system.
Andrew said, "Earlier today, I had the opportunity to ask a question to the Prime Minister regarding restrictions on pubs in Tier 2 areas.
"There are no perfect solutions at the moment, as my inbox will attest. Whenever any new Covid-19 proposal is made – I am contacted by some who say we have gone too far, whereas others will say we haven’t gone far enough. Indeed, there was considerable pressure to have even tougher restrictions than those outlined and this means that the Government has to try to balance these competiting demands, often imperfectly.
"However, I do think that the restrictions in tier 2, which allow pubs and restaurants which serve food to remain open, whereas those that can’t serve food must close, are a little unfair. Especially considering many of those businesses have invested in equipment and procedures to make them Covid-secure.
"Whilst they will receive financial support from the government, the loss of Christmas trade will, of course, be damaging.
"That’s why I raised this at PMQs today; although in our area, it could be academic, given that the current rates of infection locally mean that we could end up in tier 3, which would require all hospitality (expect for take out, deliveries and click and collect) to close.
"If you are interested in the various rules for each tier, please see this link: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/local-restriction-tiers-what-you-need-to-know"
