Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak described Fylde MP Mark Menzies as an ‘absolute champion’ for the tourism and hospitality sector during a Parliamentary session on Covid-19: Support for Business.
Mr Menzies joined the session virtually and questioned the Chancellor, following the Budget, on support for tourism and hospitality businesses which have been hit hardest by the lockdowns during the Covid-19 pandemic.
He said: “I just want to take this opportunity to thank the Chancellor for the way in which he has engaged with me and other Members representing coastal communities throughout the lifetime of the pandemic.
“I know the extensive measures he has put in place, particularly for the hospitality sector, will make a huge difference to those businesses surviving. Can my right hon. Friend assure me that he will continue to monitor and work with me to ensure that local businesses get all the support they need for their continued recovery?”
The Chancellor responded: “My hon. Friend has been instrumental in providing on-the-ground information to me and my team about the particular situation facing hospitality businesses in coastal communities like his. He is an absolute champion for them and rightly so.
“They are an important part of his local economy and I am glad that this Budget supported them. He has my assurance that we will continue to work with him and them to get them the support that they deserve.”