CAMRA response to the Chancellor's Winter Economy Plan

Commenting on today's announcement from the Chancellor of a new economy plan and Job Support Scheme, please find below a comment from CAMRA’s National Chairman Nik Antona:

“The Jobs Support Scheme is a welcome announcement - we are glad that the Chancellor has listened to industry calls for action on jobs. However, those jobs will not exist if pubs and breweries are not viable businesses.

“While we wait for further details, what we've heard does not go far enough to support pubs, especially wet-led pubs, or breweries and the wider supply chain which - as we've seen from recent industry statistics - is going to be massively impacted by new restrictions, with job losses and potential closures before Christmas.

“What the hospitality industry needs is a support package including an extension of the business rates holiday, grants rather than loans, consideration of a differential rate of duty on draft beer served in pubs and real support for wet-led pubs which cannot benefit from the VAT cut extension.”