New hospitality rules for Wales announced earlier today are disproportionate and will have an unnecessarily harsh impact on North Wales businesses according to Vale of Clwyd MP Dr James Davies, who is calling on the First Minister to review them and adopt a localised approach instead.
From Friday, pubs, cafes and restaurants in Wales will be banned from serving alcohol and will have to close at 6pm, whilst cinema, bingo halls, museums and other indoor attractions will have to close completely.
Responding to the news James said:
“This is a broad-brush approach which will hammer North Wales in response to high levels of infection in much of South Wales.
“Based on rules due to be introduced in England, I suggest the counties of Gwynedd, Anglesey and Conwy would currently fall within the Tier 1 category, where table service within pubs will be permitted. Wrexham, Flintshire and Denbighshire would likely be categorised as Tier 2, alongside neighbouring areas of England, where alcohol can be served with meals.
“While I agree that scientific evidence has increasingly pointed to the role of hospitality venues in aiding infection spread, and that there must be some restrictions, it is so important after all these months that the measures in place are proportionate and fair, else we inflict unnecessary harm on ourselves, encourage non-compliance, and fuel resentment.
“Hospitality businesses here in the Vale of Clwyd, and indeed across the rest of North Wales, have worked immensely hard and invested substantial sums of money to ensure that their premises are “covid-safe”. They, and other businesses in the region have already been subject to very questionable measures in recent times, such as a county boundary travel ban during the month of October, only to now be dealt this further devastating news. For the indoor entertainment venues, including cinemas, bingo halls, bowling alleys, soft play centres, casinos, skating rinks and amusement arcades, that have been told they need to close completely again from Friday, it must feel like it was all for nothing.”
James added: “I welcome the promise of financial support for affected businesses and await the full details of this – but hugely regret the likely impact on the hospitality sector in North Wales in the usually very important run-up to Christmas. I urge the Welsh First Minister to reconsider and adopt a localised approach.”
