Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of (a) flexible and (b) seasonal work patterns in the (i) beer and (ii) pub sector the recruitment and retention of staff.

In my capacity as co-chair of the Hospitality Sector Council I regularly meet with businesses in these sectors to discuss the issues they face, including their challenges around recruitment and retention of staff.

We have extended our Hospitality Sector Work based Academy programme to a further 26 areas, offering jobseekers training in a working environment, work experience, and a guaranteed interview with participating employers, with the aim of addressing staffing shortages in the sector.