Government to scrap 10pm hospitality curfew
The government is expected to scrap the 10pm curfew for hospitality businesses when the current UK-wide lockdown ends.
The Prime Minister is reportedly planning to extend pub and restaurant opening hours until 11pm when restrictions are eased on 2 December.
Last orders will still be called at 10pm but customers will be given an extra hour to finish drinks and food, in an attempt to prevent post-closing time crowds, according to the Mail on Sunday.
The hospitality industry has repeatedly called for the curfew to be axed, arguing that the sector has been unfairly targeted.
There were also concerns that the 10pm curfew led to crowds on streets and public transport, which could have caused coronavirus to spread.
Reacting to reports that the curfew will be extended, a spokesperson for the mayor of London said “shifting the curfew back an hour fails to address the issue of people crowding in the streets and onto public transport and risks undoing the good work done over lockdown.”
“Sadiq has repeatedly urged the government to scrap the curfew altogether when the national lockdown ends to support our bars and restaurants,” they said.
“The leaked proposal of 10pm last orders once again shows the government lacks knowledge of how to run a hospitality business according to best practice.
“Staggered closing times are essential to keep Londoners – and our economy – healthy.”
Industry bodies had previously warned that 96,000 hospitality firms could become unviable and close next year without changes to the coronavirus tier system.
A survey of British Beer & Pub Association, British Institute of Innkeeping and UK Hospitality members found that 72 per cent of firms expect to become unviable and close in 2021.
Firms said the tiering system that was in place before the latest England-wide lockdown was particularly damaging for the sector, and demanded more support, including larger grants, from the government.
They called on the government to adapt the restrictions when the full lockdown is lifted, which is expected to happen on 2 December, by relaxing the ban on households mixing and extending the 10pm curfew.