The Member of the Welsh Parliament for Aberconwy – Janet Finch-Saunders MS – has today (10 July) spoken of her dismay at the Welsh Government’s announcement that hospitality businesses will have to wait until the 3rd August to reopen indoor trading.

Today’s Welsh Government announcement remains conditional on the number of positive cases continuing to fall. Earlier this week, in response to a question posed by Mrs Finch-Saunders, the First Minister revealed that alcoholic drinks were the reason for not allowing indoor trading.

Speaking of the announcement, Janet said:

"Whilst I welcome the news that our excellent indoor attractions can open from Monday, it is most concerning that our restaurants and cafes must wait until August for their reopening to become economically viable. 

"This announcement has only added to the confusion of local business owners, who tell me that they can immediately introduce the necessary safety precautions to reopen indoor trade. For many, outdoor only service is just not economically viable.

“Mark Drakeford must urgently wake up to the fact that his uneven proposals to reopen the Welsh hospitality sector will have a disastrous impact on jobs.

“The Welsh Government must look at providing additional financial support to our hospitality industry if this three-week waiting period is to remain fixed. We cannot let pillars of the North Wales economy disappear due to inaction from Cardiff Bay.”

ENDS