MP asks Prime Minister for long-term financial support for Cumbria’s hospitality and tourism sector at PMQs

This afternoon at Prime Minister's Questions, local MP Tim Farron urged Boris Johnson to provide financial support for hospitality and tourism businesses in Cumbria to take them through to next spring.

Speaking during PMQs, Tim said: "The virus effectively turned summer in to winter for Cumbrian tourism.

"Ending government funding in October though, will mean three winters in a row, causing severe hardship on top of the already 312% increase in unemployment locally.

"So will the Prime Minister provide a support package for tourism and hospitality in the Lakes, the Dales and elsewhere, to see them through to the spring of 2021?"

In response the Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: "We're certainly looking at all sorts of packages to help the tourism industry over the winter period so that their winter as it were can be a kind of summer when we can get things open again.

"There will be all sorts of packages, but I don't want to extend the schemes that we currently have."

Speaking afterwards, Tim said: "I'm pleased to see the Prime Minister commit to bringing forward financial support to tourism and hospitality over the winter, though it's disappointing that the current schemes won't be extended.

"I'll continue to work with Cumbria Tourism and our amazing local hospitality and tourism businesses to see that support does indeed become a reality."