COVID-19 Update

Dear Member

COVID-19 UPDATE

We have now submitted bacta’s revised sector guidance to Government following suggestions from the Health and Safety Executive. I attach a copy for your information but there may some further changes emerging from this sign-off process by government. The guidance will be applicable to all FEC and AGC operators in all parts of the UK. We have submitted this similarly to Scotland and will do so in Wales. The response from HSE asked us to emphasise the need for robust cleaning regimes in venues and asked for more detail on how members would manage customer numbers. The Cabinet Office asked us to include reference to the volume of sound from machines. These have been incorporated in the guidance which I hope will be of value to you in preparing your risk assessments ready for opening.
DCMS Minister, Nigel Huddlestone, has also encouraged bacta members to utilise the Visit England/Visit Britain We’re Good to Go scheme which provides a kite mark for Covid Secure premises. Details can be found here. https://www.visitbritain.org/business-advice/were-good-go-industry-standard.

Our work in Scotland and Wales to get us open and to get rates relief and grants to our High Street members, goes on. We have held a very helpful meeting in Scotland with an official looking at the guidance needed for re-opening. Scotland Regional Chairman, Joseph Cullis and I were able to provide a lot of background that clearly had not yet got to him despite the extensive letter writing. We also secured an off-line discussion with Tourims Minister, Fergus Ewing’s office, where again we were able to outline our case. A detailed Update went to Scottish Region members earlier today.

All members are asked to support our work in Wales by signing a petition to have the shockingly bad treatment of our AGC members, discussed in the Senedd. Please click here and add your name. 5000 signature is all that is needed. https://petitions.senedd.wales/petitions/200112

Can also encourage all members who contacted their MPs over the past couple of weeks about the (English) government’s U-turn on AGC opening to contact them again if you haven’t already done so, just to thank them for their support which has resulted in us being open on July 4th. Please invite them to your premises as this will help cement the relationship. Also can you mention the ongoing measures that would help your business get back to business, principally a cut in VAT to 17.5% and a cut in MGD to 5%. Please keep in the loop with your correspondence. Bacta will be writing separately.

I also sent round earlier today a further note to Division 2 members which will hopeful address the numerous calls we seem to be getting to remove machines from pubs on the back of Government Guidance for the sector. This is absolutely not necessary, nor is it a requirement of any guidance. Please get in touch if you didn’t get the note.

As always please keep in touch and stay safe.

Kind regards

John

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