Black Country MP calls for hospitality recovery fund
A Black Country MP will press the Government to create a "hospitality recovery fund" and help pubs to cope amid the pandemic.
Mike Wood, MP for Dudley South, said he will ask Chancellor Rishi Sunak to create the fund from £2billion handed back to the Government by supermarkets.
Major supermarket chains had received the cash as financial aids during the coronavirus pandemic.
Mr Wood said such a fund would help to protect jobs in the hospitality sector, such as pubs and bars, which play a big part in the Black County economy.
Asked if the Government should do more to support pubs over Christmas, he said: "I'm meeting with the Chancellor on Wednesday, it is not just a question of a few days over Christmas.
"Pubs and bars in particular need short term support for however many weeks these restrictions will be in place.
"But then they are going to need more medium term support in terms of getting back on their feet and rebuilding, and keeping those jobs that are so important for our local communities, once we have beaten Covid.
"One of the things I will be calling for is, the supermarkets between them, have returned nearly £2billion in support measures.
"I want some of that to be used to create a hospitality recovery fund to help pubs get through this pandemic.
"Then they are safe to rebuild, and protect jobs as we come out the other side.
"This will make sure the thousands of people who have jobs in my constituency, who depend on pubs and hospitality and associated industries, do have a chance of work once we have beaten the virus."
