Government hits out at trade for division over key issues

The trade has been criticised by the Government for failing to speak with one voice on important issues.

At an emergency summit held last week to tackle the growing crisis within the hospitality industry, ministers Tessa Jowell (pictured) and Kim Howells from the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) called on trade leaders to settle their differences.

In a statement on the meeting, the DCMS said: "The tourism industry is very fragmented and is represented by many trade associations.

"What is lacking is a single voice for the industry. Without a single voice the industry is ineffective in collating information, getting messages across or lobbying for regulatory or other changes. This was starkly highlighted at the time of the foot-and-mouth outbreak."

But a solution may be more difficult than it appears, especially on issues such as licensing reform over which the trade remains split.

The summit was aimed at producing a government action plan to help the beleaguered sector, which has been hit by bad weather, foot-and-mouth disease and the aftermath of the US attacks.

As this article was posted on thePublican.com, trade leaders were preparing to travel to Hertfordshire for the event, which was to take the form of a series of seminars and group discussions.

Ms Jowell said: "I am absolutely delighted at the willingness of the industry to recognise the need for change and consider radical ideas. Tourism is so important to our economy it's worth £64bn and one in seven British jobs that we all have to take the challenges facing it seriously. But, while the Government can lend support and provide a platform for change, the industry must take the lead."

Mark Hastings, spokesman for the British Beer and Pub Association, said: "The Government has only just woken up to the fact that the hospitality industry represents a huge part of the UK's industry.

"We will be looking for action and we would expect this summit to be the culmination of a lot of the fact-finding that the DCMS and the Government has been doing over the last few months.

"We do as a sector tend to be overlooked by the policy makers because we have been very successful but if we begin to downturn the impact is quite serious in terms of job losses and obviously a loss of tax revenue for the Government."