Cabinet minister on when Blackpool will be able to get back to what it does best

Transport secretary Grant Shapps was responding to a question from the Gazette at the daily Downing Street briefing about whether hospitality hotspots faced a particular challenge in recovering from the fallout from the pandemic – and in keeping the virus at bay as they reopen their visitor economies.

The government has said that some sectors of the hospitality industry may be able to resume trading from 4th July, at the earliest, provided conditions allow and so long as their environments are Covid-secure and social distancing is enforced.

But Mr. Shapps warned that even when places like Blackpool are able to begin to welcome back visitors on a larger scale, people must not become complacent about the ongoing threat of Covid-19

“We have to know what the path of this virus is going forward, because [it is] the only way we’ll know the extent - and when - people will be able to move around more freely and perhaps even stay overnight - and therefore open up the British hospitality sector.

“Everybody needs to play their part and I think there is a danger, particularly as we go through these unlock phases, that people start to think: ‘Well, it’s alright, we’re now able to do this, this and this’ - and [coronavirus] becomes a bad nightmare from the spring. It’s not, it’s still very much with us and we absolutely have to focus on beating it.

“The government will always try to do whatever it can to stand by all organisations - hospitality businesses, in particular - but we need people’s help in order to defeat this thing once and for all - which remains as much of a big national effort now as it did when we first started.”

Asked whether the government was planning targeted help for tourist destinations to assist in their recovery, Mr. Shapps referred to government grants for which some parts of the hospitality industry have already been able to apply.

“It’s been an absolutely wretched time for everybody, but none more so than those in the hospitality sector – and that’s why the kind of levels of support, running into the tens of billions of pounds, have been so extreme to try to support them,” he added.

Mr. Shapps also said that significant local variations in when lockdown restrictions are lifted risks causing confusion amongst the public.

He was speaking in resposne to a suggestion that council public health bosses should be empowered to make their own local decisions on when the measures should be modified.

However, he said he understood that some areas may decide that they feel the need to “delay for a week” if local circumstances demand it.

Last week, Lancashire’s director of public health, Dr. Sakthi Karunanithi, advised schools in the county council area that he did not feel it was yet safe for them to reopen, because of the risk that it would not be possible to contain any outbreaks of coronavirus which might occur as a result. He is due to review that guidance every week as of next Monday.

That announcement came on the day that the health secretary, Matt Hancock, said that directors of public health would have a “crucial role” to play in deciding whether to impose local lockdowns in future – but did not suggest a more localised response to the lifting of restrictions in the first place.

Speaking at No.10 on Thursday afternoon, Mr. Shapps said that there was a balance to be struck between local discretion and national uniformity - and revealed that he had looked into the Lancashire schools situation specifically.

“There is clearly a decision that needs to be kept in mind [about] the extent to which you say things are for local decisions and the extent to which you have a clear national message that says this is the date when X or Y is going to happen.

“When I talk to the scientists, [to understand] is it the case that in one location schools aren’t ready to go back, but in another location they are – the difficulty is having sufficient test data to [determine] in one particular location whether that’s a justifiable decision or not.

“In the end, you do have to…make those decisions on a national level. It is, of course, also true and perfectly proper that people may [think they have] got a particular issue [in their locality] and [decide to] delay by a week – which I think is perfectly understandable.

“But I think on balance, you’ve got to have a national message – otherwise people will be confused [if, say] non-essential shops [were reopening] in one town and not another in the short term.”

The government has said that those non-essential retailers which have not yet reopened can do so on 15th June, if conditions allow. Some sectors of the hospitality industry could be permitted to resume trading from 4th July, at the earliest, provided they are deemed safe and are enforcing social distancing.

Dr. Karunanithi welcomed what he saw as endorsement of at least some degree of local flexibility over such dates from Mr. Shapps.

“It’s good that there is national recognition for why things might be different locally and I appreciate support from the minister to do the right thing for local residents.

“It’s very likely we’ll need to be reacting to local outbreaks without another national lockdown. I’d rather not leave it until we need a lockdown locally either, I’d rather a graduated response plan – with enforcement as a last resort,” Dr. Karunanithi added.

He also welcomed the transport secretary’s announcement that face coverings will become a requirement for all public transport users from 15th June.