MP for the Cities of London & Westminster, Nickie Aiken, spoke out in the Chamber to raise awareness of the issues businesses are bringing to her.
Nickie is hearing from businesses across the Two Cities is that a rise in vacancies is inhibiting their ability to repair the balance sheets, recover cash reserves, and has halted their ability to invest in jobs and growth.
Nickie raised this point with Minister for London and Business Minister, Paul Scully MP, and find out more on the steps being taken to further support jobs in retail, leisure, and hospitality.
Speaking in the Chamber, Nickie said,
"Nickie Aiken. Thank you Mr Speaker, can I first pay tribute to the Ministerial Team from BEIS for their outstanding work during the pandemic to support businesses in central London and particularly the Minister for London, who I know has worked tirelessly, I thank him.
"What I'm hearing now as we rebuild our economy that businesses across the Cities of London and Westminster have a real rise in vacancies. And that is really inhibiting their ability to repair their balance sheets, recover their cash reserves and has halted their ability to grow their businesses. We've got the jobs. Where are the workers? So can you please, Mr Speaker, ask the Minister to outline the steps that they or the Minister for London is taking to help businesses even further, particularly in the hospitality, retail and leisure sectors?
Responding, Paul Scully MP said,
"I thank my Honourable Friend and I'll tell you what, as Minister for London, every time I go, see a business or business representative organisation, she has been there before to champion the Cities of London & Westminster and that and the Central Activity Zone in London, which is so important for the culture, for the ecosystem that is our great city.
"We want to build a high wage, high skill economy and the retail and leisure and hospitality sector are absolutely the heart of that. The strategy will have the reopening and we will build resilience through increased staff supply."
