UKHospitality welcomes Government’s draft withdrawal agreement

20-Mar-2018 - Last updated on 20-Mar-2018 at 10:54 GMT

Reassurance: UKHospitality hopes the latest stage in Brexit will give businesses peace of mind

UKHospitality has welcomed the Government’s draft withdrawal agreement, which it said will "provide businesses with more peace of mind".

Yesterday (19 March) David Davis, Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, announced another "significant step" by reaching agreement on the next phase of the Brexit negotiations.

In his speech, made in Brussels, he reassured businesses that they will be able to plan for the future "with confidence".

"Businesses need not delay investment decisions, or rush through contingency plans based on guesses about the future deal," he said.

"Instead they now have certainty about the terms that will apply immediately after our withdrawal.

"Meaning that they can continue to operate and invest with confidence, as the design of our future partnership with the European Union becomes clear."

Some of the key aspects to the latest agreement, according to the BBC, include: the transitional period will last from Brexit day on 29 March 2019 to 31 December 2020; EU citizens arriving in the UK between these two dates will enjoy the same rights and guarantees as those who arrive before Brexit; the UK will be able to negotiate, sign and ratify its own trade deals during the transition period; and the UK will still be party to existing EU trade deals with other countries.

Peace of mind

UKHospitality chief executive Kate Nicholls said: “The plan will provide businesses with more peace of mind and give employers a chance to begin drawing up their plans for their businesses post-Brexit.

“A full right to remain during the transition period with a chance to work towards full status, will provide non-UK EU workers with an opportunity to come to the UK with a sense of security and stability. With a significant portion of the UK’s hospitality workforce coming from outside the UK, this is the clarity and assurance that we have been calling on the Government to deliver.

“The Government needs to now communicate this message as widely as possible to reassure businesses and their employees and to make sure that EU citizens are aware of the opportunities that still exist for them.

"The next step is for the Government to begin, in earnest, putting in place the framework for the future immigration policy at the soonest opportunity.”