Asked by: Karen Bradley (Conservative - Staffordshire Moorlands)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether dedicated wedding venues are permitted to hold covid-secure weddings in Stage 2 of the covid-19 roadmap.
Answered by Paul Scully
At Step 2, which will be no earlier than 12 April, weddings and civil partnership ceremonies are permitted for up to 15 people in COVID-19 Secure venues that are permitted to open or where a broader exemption applies.
Receptions can take place with up to 15 people in the form of a sit-down meal and in any COVID-19 Secure outdoor venue that is permitted to open. Such receptions must not take place in people’s private gardens or public outdoor spaces.
Asked by: Karen Bradley (Conservative - Staffordshire Moorlands)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of providing additional financial support for the hospitality sector in areas under tier 3 covid-19 restrictions.
Answered by Paul Scully
We are providing hospitality sector in Tier 3 with a wide package of support. This includes the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, government-backed loans, Local Restrictions Support Grants and additional funding provided to Local Authorities to support businesses. On 1 December, my Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister announced an additional £1,000 Christmas grant for ‘wet-led pubs’ in tiers 2 and 3.
Asked by: Karen Bradley (Conservative - Staffordshire Moorlands)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether photography businesses specialising in pets can continue to operate during the November 2020 covid-19 lockdown provided that the business is conducted outdoors, with only the pet owner and the photographer present and ensuring social distancing is observed.
Answered by Paul Scully
England’s new national restrictions closures guidance from Cabinet Office can be found here. This states ‘photography studios’ must close. However, it also states that businesses that provide services (rather than goods) are not required to close, unless listed in section 2 of the guide.
The Cabinet Office’s guidance states that Government cannot provide comments on individual cases of whether or not a business is permitted to open. It is for each business to assess whether they are a business required to close having considered the guidance and regulations.
Asked by: Karen Bradley (Conservative - Staffordshire Moorlands)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he has taken to ensure that warranties on the products of companies that become insolvent and then reopen are honoured.
Answered by Paul Scully
Extended warranties form a binding contract between the party offering the extended warranty and the consumer. Under UK law, guarantees and warranties are not required to be given, but are benefits in addition to consumers’ rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015. Where the business of an insolvent company is sold, the purchasing entity is under no statutory requirement to honour a warranty provided by the insolvent company. Imposing such an obligation could impact on the prospects for the sale of viable parts of a business, reducing the returns to creditors, as well as harming the chances of saving jobs through a successful business sale.