Following the recent move to new coronavirus lockdown restrictions across the country Macclesfield MP, David Rutley, has strongly welcomed further Government support announced on 5th January to help protect jobs in the local retail, leisure and hospitality sectors.

During the pandemic, David has worked hard to support our local hospitality sector, including local pubs, restaurants and cafes. He regularly speaks with local hospitality businesses to find out more about the issues they are facing and keeps in contact with Macclesfield Hospitality Action. David recognises that these are particularly challenging times for these businesses and has consistently raised the concerns of local traders with Government Ministers.

The latest support measures announced by the Government include additional one-off grants of up to £9,000 to businesses in the retail, leisure and hospitality sector required to close during lockdown. The exact amount a business will receive depends on their rateable value. The one-off grant is in addition to the existing monthly closed business grant of up to £3,000 per month for eligible businesses.

As well as retaining the monthly closed business grant, the wider package of economic support also includes extending the furlough scheme to April and providing further Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) grants to the self-employed to April.  

The new support measures also include an additional £500 million for discretionary funding provided by English local authorities to support local businesses. In total, the additional measures are worth £4.6 billion.

Commenting David said, “Our local hospitality, leisure and retail businesses have been hit hard by coronavirus. The unprecedented challenges of the pandemic continue to have severe economic impacts for them. That’s why I warmly welcome this package of support, which I hope will help local businesses get through the latest lockdown and beyond. I will continue to do all that I can to support these vital businesses in the weeks ahead.”