Evidence taken on hospitality and retail sectors

17 July 2018

The Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee publishes written evidence submissions and hears from the British Retail Consortium and UK Hospitality regarding the retail and hospitality sectors.

Sector deals

The 27 submissions come from a range of businesses and organisations, including John Lewis Partnership, EEF, Nuclear Industry Association, ABPI, British Beer & Pub Association, and the Tourism Alliance.

A variety of issues relating to the Industrial Strategy are raised in the written evidence, including the criteria required to secure a sector deal, the appropriateness of the choice of sectors able to quickly secure a deal and whether sector deals are the right approach at all to how the Government supports industry.

Committee to hear from hospitality and retail sectors

Following the publication of these submissions, the BEIS Committee Industrial Strategy hears from witnesses Helen Dickinson, Chief Executive, British Retail Consortium, and from Kate Nicholls, CEO, UK Hospitality. This session focuses on the hospitality and retail sectors which were included in the Committee's call for evidence, and in the Government's Industrial Strategy as opportunities for productivity growth.

Witnesses

Tuesday 17 July, Committee Room 6, Palace of Westminster

At 9.45am

Helen Dickinson, Chief Executive, British Retail Consortium
Kate Nicholls, CEO, UK Hospitality

Chair's comments

Rachel Reeves MP, Chair of the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee, said:

"The UK is home to many thriving businesses and companies which are successful on the global stage. But our productivity growth remains sluggish and our productivity gap to our international competitors remains a significant and persistent problem. The Government's Industrial Strategy is a welcome sign of a commitment to tackle the productivity gap but this needs to deliver for all parts of our economy and all parts of our country. We must ensure we seize the opportunities for productivity growth and do so in the everyday economy, in sectors for which many in the UK are employed but which have historically been neglected, such as in retail and hospitality.
On Tuesday, we want to examine the opportunities for retail and hospitality productivity growth, set against a backdrop of high-street closures and job-losses, and the impact of online retailers. We will want to explore what impact the Government's sector deals may have and whether they can help businesses deliver in improving productivity and boosting wage growth."

Further information

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