Do you agree with the Governmental Asks outlined below or can you suggest others?

1.    CHANGES TO CURRENT SUPPORT AND FERRY CAPACITY

CORONAVIRUS JOB RETENTION SCHEME

Jobs are now under threat with the news that employers will need to contribute to the scheme from August and that the scheme will finish at end October.

1. A sectoral extension of the furlough scheme (without employer contribution) to be extended to at least the end of March 2021 (potentially longer for Islands) for all tourism operators where income is affected by social distancing measures. The hospitality industry will be last to exit lockdown and cannot operate at previous volumes due to social distancing. Consequently, not all team members will be needed in the business until social distancing ends and therefore full furlough support needs to remain in place until normal business resumes.

INCREASE FERRY CAPACITY IMPLEMENTING SUMMER TIMETABLE (both routes)

1. There are no details of ferry timetables after 30 June. We need the full summer timetable to be implemented from 1 July with creative, innovative solutions used to achieve 50% capacity.
2. Relaxation on rules with regard to passengers remaining in cars on the car deck during crossings, running 24 hours service, or extra ferries?
3. Introducing physical screening in passenger areas to increase capacity (could double capacity).
4. Test and challenge the assumptions made to decide capacity limits on ferries (could double capacity).
5. Amend the booking system for passengers and cars to control and manage passenger priorities to ensure local infrastructure and economic needs can be met.
6. Exclude DAY VISITORS TO ARRAN to allow ferry spaces to be kept for local infrastructure and overnight visitors who bring greater economic benefit. No day visitors would mean less tourism hot spotting and less risk to local population. (Arran Recovery Group recommendation). Overnight stays could be minimum 2 nights to reduce number of journeys/people travelling.
7. A reduction in 2m social distancing to 1.5m or 1m, even just on transport, to be considered realistically.
8. UK government recommending facemasks to be used on trains, planes and ferries where 2m distancing is not always possible. Why is 2m rule being rigidly applied on ferries?

2.  RECOVERY PHASE ASSISTANCE

1. No VAT on hospitality sector until end of social distancing and recovery well underway.
2. No business rates for Hospitality sector for 2021/22. Reduction in business rates thereafter.
3. Fit for purpose ferry and port infrastructure with increased capacity to stimulate future growth and sustainability on islands.
4. An extension of HMRC time to pay schemes as currently deferred payments are due to be repaid when we will either still be closed or in the early stages of recovery.
5. Support with the cost of paying holiday accrued by people on furlough as it will be difficult to schedule this even with the two-year period allowed for it to be taken?