LUDLOW MP, Philip Dunne, has welcomed confirmation of an additional £1bn package of funding to support hospitality and leisure affected by the Omicron variant of Covid.

Recognising the impact of Omicron and public caution, the government is providing one-off grants of up to £6,000 per premises for businesses in the hospitality and leisure sectors in England, plus more than £100 million discretionary funding will be made available for local authorities to support other businesses.

Around 200,000 businesses will be eligible for business grants which will be administered by local authorities and available in coming weeks.

“I am very pleased the Chancellor has recognised the significant impact that Omicron is having already on hospitality and leisure, at what is traditionally their busiest period of the year, as the public understandably exercises caution,” said Mr Dunne. “These grants will go some way to easing that burden.”