North Wales Assembly Member Mark Isherwood has today questioned the Economy Minister over support for businesses amid the Coronavirus outbreak and called on him to respond to the concerns of two wedding venue businesses in North Wales that have been hit hard by the crisis.
Following today’s Statement by the Minister for Economy, Transport and North Wales: Coronavirus (COVID-19), Mr Isherwood questioned him over his engagement with business umbrella organisation across Wales and referred to the problems facing wedding venue businesses in Flintshire and Denbighshire.
Speaking in the Welsh Parliament, he said:
“How do you respond or how are you engaging with business umbrella organisations across Wales? You'll be aware, for example, that North Wales Tourism are inundated with calls from members requesting help and guidance. Therefore, how are you maximising the opportunity to use other access points to both gather intelligence but also share information? You've announced the business rate relief of 100 per cent for properties up to £51,000 rateable value.
“Yesterday, I visited a hotel and wedding venue in Flintshire, the rateable value was £79,000. They say that all of their customers are cancelling, all their staff are being sent home. They employ 40 people but they won't survive without help. So, what can I say to that hotel where the rateable value falls above that £51,000 figure, and they're already hitting the buffers of crisis?
“I've been contacted by another wedding venue in Denbighshire. Apparently Denbighshire Council's Registrars have said that they're no longer willing to conduct weddings in either hotels or registry offices, and they're questioning who made the decision, why weren't they told, and why are they going straight to customers who are now in a panic?
“So, I'm wondering if you've given any thought to or could give some attention the announcements by Registrars, at least in Denbighshire and possible more widely, given the importance of wedding venues to many businesses across Wales?”
The Minister, Ken Skates AM, replied:
“I have spoken quite extensively with a number of organisations including the Confederation of British Industry, the Federation of Small Businesses, the Chambers of Commerce and so forth. We'll be meeting again later this week, and I spoke with officials in my colleague Dafydd Elis-Thomas's department yesterday concerning the engagement that they have with the tourism sector and I was assured that there is close contact established with the tourism sector.
“I have now received a number of letters and other forms of correspondence from businesses within the hospitality sector, within other key sectors of the economy that Dafydd Elis-Thomas is responsible for. And, we are reflecting on those calls that are made within the correspondence in terms of how we utilise the £100 million and any additional financial resource that we'll be able to make available as a consequence of what I hope to be a very significant announcement later today by the UK Government.
“I will have to reflect on the point that was made in regard to the decision made by registrars, if I may, and return to the Member with some more detail on that. This is something that I think is specific to certain areas of Wales at the moment, but I'll need to check and I'll write back to the Member as soon as I possibly can”.
