Business groups and unions have cautiously welcomed the Government’s decision to cut the number of self-isolation days to five. But some warned that ministers must ensure there is a steady flow of lateral flow tests( LFTs) for the changes to work. And the Royal College of Nursing called for its members to be exempt and to remain under seven-day isolation rules. For the new measures to truly have an impact it is important that availability of lateral flow tests remains consistent throughout the c

By Noor Nanji Business reporter, BBC News Pubs are calling for more flexible licensing laws during national events, such as Sunday's Women's World Cup final.... The British Beer and Pub Association( BBPA) said the current rules were" far too prescriptive" when it came to one-off events of national interest.... As a result, many pubs had to wait until the second half of the game to be able to serve alcohol. The government said it keeps licencing laws" under review". Ahead of Sunday's match, whi

Venues have suffered a dramatic drop in bookings and a surge in cancellations this Christmas as consumer confidence has collapsed in the face of the Omicron variant.... It's going to be a very bleak midwinter.... We need an announcement from the Chancellor as early as possible this week....

Scots may be forced to present vaccine passports to go to a pub or hotel from next week if the premises has a" designated space" for dancing, Nicola Sturgeon has announced in a dramatic extension of the scheme. The First Minister confirmed that premises would be caught by her controversial vaccine certification plans if they serve alcohol after midnight and have an area where" dancing is permitted".In a statement to Parliament, she said families would not be expected to present their vaccine pas

Before the pandemic, the busiest period was between 7am to 8am – but that has changed to 8am to 9am." Since the pandemic, we have broadly seen a change in peak time travel where both AM and PM peaks are wider across all weekdays," TfL said.... " This means that demand is more spread out, with a larger proportion of journeys being taken beyond the normal peak times." Motorists also pushing journeys back Drivers are also coming in later.... They said employers have been taking a much more casual

More than 80 percent of pubs have already hiked their prices or are planning to, according to a poll by the Morning Advertiser, a UK pub trade publication.... This is even before the Chancellor announces any duty in his Autumn Budget next week.... He should do the same again in a few weeks’ time.".....

Chancellor Rishi Sunak yesterday said he expects to see an uplift in consumer confidence because of the national team’s success at Euro 2020.... And the spending is set to reach a new level of fever pitch after Wednesday’s 2-1 semi-final win over Denmark at Wembley.... Consumer confidence has already returned to pre-crisis levels and things that make us feel good are good for the economy.“ Whether there is a bit of extra GDP at the end of it, so be it, that will be great....

The cost of living crisis will deepen for many households as energy bills are set to skyrocket due to an increase in the price cap. However, higher energy prices are not the only way households and businesses are set to feel the pinch. From the start of the month, a raft of tax rises and reductions in state pandemic support will increase costs for businesses and, ultimately, lead to higher prices for their customers. Here are the tax changes which could impact your wallets.– VAT increasesRecomme

Rishi Sunak will hold crisis talks with business leaders who have seen takings plummet due to fears over the spread of Omicron The Chancellor faces pressure to produce a rescue package for the hospitality sector as Christmas festivities have been scaled back after the rapid growth in cases of the coronavirus variant. The latest daily figures showed almost 90, 000 Covid-19 cases were recorded as of 9am on Thursday, the highest figure so far in the pandemic, and a health chief warned there could b

Rachel Reeves has been warned that increasing taxes on alcohol and pubs in the Budget would spell “ the end of the affordable pint ”.... Brewers and hospitality firms have told the Chancellor they have “ nothing left to give ” and would be driven out of business by further costs.In a letter seen by The Telegraph, they also told Ms Reeves that Angela Rayner’s plan to boost workers’ rights is at risk of causing a staffing crisis. Advertisement Ms Reeves is considering an increase in alcohol duty