Downtown in Business is leading a delegation to Westminster this week to champion public/private sector collaboration for economic growth and investment.
The delegation will meet with MP’s, members of the House of Lords and civic leaders from across the city region to discuss challenges and opportunities facing the hospitality sector, in skills and training, and to promote investment and development.
The reception, co-sponsored by City of Liverpool College, Liverpool Business Improvement District and Knowsley-based telecoms, energy and critical infrastructure specialist MJ Quinn, will showcase the ambition and momentum of the Liverpool City Region, as well as afford delegates the opportunity to network with Ministers, MPs, Peers and senior civil servants.
One topic Liverpool City Region’s business community is keen to raise is the level of VAT on hospitality businesses.
Bill Addy, CEO of Liverpool Business Improvement District said:
“The government should cut hospitality VAT by 10%
“We’ve never known a sector face such a crisis as hospitality is facing, it is having an impact on everything from our high streets to the employment rates of our young people.
“It is one of the most critical economic issues affecting our towns and cities.
“Hiring staff has become more expensive. Both N.I. and the minimum wage increase means that bringing in new members of staff, especially part-timers, costs more. Business rates are higher – a system that needs a radical, overdue overhaul – and energy bills have increased substantially for businesses, just in the same way as they have for households.
Bill points out;
“VAT on hospitality is currently 20%, the second highest in Europe. Reducing this to 10% would give hospitality breathing space, allowing our vibrant city region businesses to stay open.
“The hospitality sector is a crucial element of Liverpool’s visitor economy, now worth 36% of spend in the city centre, with one in ten jobs in city centre hospitality.”
