To ask the Minister of Finance why guesthouses were excluded from the Omicron Hospitality Payment Scheme.

While my department has stepped up, again, to deliver the Omicron Hospitality Payment on behalf of the Executive, I must emphasise that we do not have responsibility for business support. Neither do we have the expertise or information to make assessments about the particular needs of any business sector.

The Executive targeted support to the hospitality sector based on evidence put forward by the Department for the Economy that this was the sector which was the most severely affected by changes in consumer behaviour arising from the Omicron wave of the pandemic. I had asked the Economy Minister to consider whether there was a need for financial support for other business sectors. To date, the Department for the Economy has not provided any evidence or made any recommendations for financial support to businesses within the Guesthouse or B&B sector.

Unfortunately, the current inability of the Executive to meet means that extending business support to other sectors may not be possible at this time.

I would however highlight that some guesthouses and B&B’s, while having accommodation type certifications with Tourism NI, may also hold a liquor license. Where that is the case and the predominance of revenue is generated through the liquor license element of the business, they may be eligible for OHP.