A ‘tiny amount’ for many struggling businesses in region

WEST Midland businesses gave a cautious welcome to the chancellor’s support package but some felt it was far to small to help.

Rishi Sunak revealed a £1 billion package of measures for the hospitality and leisure sector on Tuesday.

Helen Peters, chief executive of tourism body Shakespeare’s England in south Warwickshire, said that any support was welcome, but added: “For a lot of hospitality and leisure businesses, a maximum grant of £6,000 is a tiny amount considering the huge financial pressures so many of them are facing.

“However, £1 billion is a lot of money, and we are grateful that, at last, some support is being offered to businesses who are seeing incomes plummet through no fault of their own.”

Sean Rose, head of policy at the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, said: “It’s vitally important the money is easy to access and gets out to those businesses that need it most as quickly as possible. This could be a lifeline at what should be their busiest time of year.

“It’s not clear if there are going to be further restrictions in the coming days and weeks but it’s vitally important that, whatever happens, the Government is ready to support businesses even further to help them through this difficult period.”

Mike Cherry is a director of Staffordshire timber merchant WH Mason & Son and national chairman of the Federation of

Small Businesses. He called the measures “positive” and hoped they would arrest a significant decline in confidence over this year.

“With the prospect of one million people sick or self-isolating by January, we encouraged the Chancellor to bring back the Covid statutory sick pay rebate we’re pleased to see our recommendation taken forward,” he said.

“This move will reduce stress for small employers up and down the country, helping those who are struggling most with depleted cash flow. It’s vital that small firms, once again up against a massively disrupted festive season, can reclaim the costs of supporting staff.

“We’ve always said that support needs to move in lockstep with restrictions and this intervention will help give small businesses confidence this is the approach the Government will be taking.”