Markus Andrews

A junk food tax to prevent the obesity crisis overwhelming the NHS budget is back on the government’s agenda, the author of a landmark report says.Boris Johnson dismayed health campaigners by appearing to rule out the £3bn levy earlier this year, saying he is not “attracted to the idea of extra taxes on hardworking people”.But Henry Dimbleby suggested the prime minister had misunderstood his recommendation – and said he believed the health secretary Sajid Javid is now ready to act.“I think Sajid Javid understands now that we need to intervene,” Mr Dimbleby said, ahead of a formal response, early next year, to his National Food Strategy.The cookery writer and restaurant owner said the political landscape had changed since Mr Johnson rejected any new taxes, with the decision to hike National Insurance to fund extra health and care spending.“Boris was bumped into that on the first day when we published the strategy,” he told BBC Radio 4.Mr Dimbleby also pointed to next month’s ‘levelling up’ strategy, warning: “Diet is the most important factor shaping our health. And if you don’t tackle diet you don’t tackle health inequalities.He added: “It’s possible that Sajid Javid will be we wanting to put in his own measures, so I think quarter one of next year is absolutely critical.”The strategy called for a levy of £3 a kilogram on sugar and £6 a kilogram on salt sold for use in processed food and in restaurants – with the money raised used to expand free school meals and on changing attitudes to food.A similar levy on soft drinks in 2018 led to a number of products being reformulated to reduce sugar levels, which meant prices for consumers did not go up.Without a tax, obesity is on course to cost the NHS “more to treat than all cancers put together” by 2035, Mr Dimbleby said.Mr Johnson’s apparent dismissal of the plan came despite his pledge to launch a so-called war on obesity, after believing his very serious bout of coronavirus last year was worsened by being overweight.But Mr Dimbleby said he had proposed a “reformulation tax”, adding: “I think now the politicians get it.“By taxing sugar and salt you encourage companies to change the form of the most processed foods – the foods that are worst for us.“You also take some of that money and you use it to support the diets of the least affluent, because this is a huge problem not only of health but of inequality.” More

Over 50 cross-party MPs and peers have demanded Rishi Sunak urgently increase statutory sick pay, warning the current level forces workers to choose between “putting food on the table and self-isolating”.In a letter to the chancellor — seen by The Independent — the parliamentarians accused the government of repeatedly failing to “properly” support workers, as the country faces a new wave of Covid.They stressed that since the onset of the pandemic in 2020 it has been “clear” increasing sick pay levels would “significantly increase” the number of people who can afford to self-isolate after testing positive.Earlier this week the Labour frontbench also urged Mr Sunak to increase sick pay — currently £96.35 per week and among the least generous schemes in Europe — in order to encourage workers who test positive for Covid to self-isolate.Speaking to Sky News, Jonathan Ashworth, the shadow work and pensions secretary, added that the “failure to pay people decent sick pay throughout this whole crisis has been a monstrous failing”.Experts advising the government on a sub-group of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), have previously suggested the “benefits of financial aid and other support for isolation are magnified”.The letter sent to the chancellor by MPs on Wednesday urged the government to increase sick pay levels to the level of the Real Living Wage — which the Trade Union Congress (TUC) has previously estimated as £346 per week.Signatories include the former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, former shadow chancellor John McDonnell, the Green MP Caroline Lucas, the Liberal Democrat’s welfare spokesperson, Wendy Chamberlain, and the SNP MP Alison Thewliss.“The new wave of Covid infections is going to lead to many more workers needing to self-isolate,” the letter states.“It is essential that they are given the proper financial support to do so.It [SSP] is so low that it forces workers to choose between putting food on the table and self-isolating when asked to do so to protecting their community”.They added: “It has been clear since the very start of this pandemic that increasing statutory sick pay to real living wage levels would significantly increase the number of workers who can afford to self-isolate and would help slow the spread of the virus. Despite that, you and your government have repeatedly failed to act.“It is unacceptable that workers are being denied the basic protections they should be getting from your Government. In the interests of protecting public health, reducing pressure on our NHS and limiting the impacts on the wider workforce and economy, we need your government to act with the seriousness that this situation demands.“We ask you to urgently increase statutory sick pay to the level of the real living wage and remove the requirement for recipients to earn over £120 per week so that every single worker who needs to self-isolate is properly supported to do so.Richard Burgon — a former shadow cabinet minister who organised the letter — also claimed that millions are “living in fear that they simply won’t be able to get by on miserly levels of sick pay if they get ill.”“The chancellor has repeatedly ignored warnings about how our pathetically low level of sick pay means many workers just can’t afford to self-isolate and that this undermines efforts to reduce the spread of the virus,” he added.It comes after Mr Sunak reintroduced a rebate scheme for firms with fewer than 250 employees, which will cover the cost of of statutory sick pay for Covid-related absences amid concerns over the Omicron variant.The measure formed part of a £1 billion support package to businesses hit by restrictions and advice given to the public ahead of Christmas. The fund includes one-off grants of up to £6,000 per premises in the business in the affected sectors in England, which the Treasury expects will be administered by local authorities and be available in the coming weeks. More

A health minister has suggested people should “think about” their New Year’s plans if they can’t be changed quickly amid continuing uncertainty over post-Christmas Covid restrictions.The remarks from Gillian Keegan came after Boris Johnson confirmed no additional rules would be introduced ahead of 25 December, but warned: “Naturally we can’t rule out further measures after Christmas”.The prime minister stressed the situation remained “finely balanced” as his government awaits crucial data on the extent to which rising Omicron infections will trigger a level of hospitalisation that could place considerable pressure on the NHS.Appearing on LBC, Ms Keegan appeared to add further doubt on post-Christmas celebrations, saying there was a “risk” when asked by the host, Nick Ferrari, whether he could send out invitations for a New Year’s Eve party.She said: “Well, all I would say is there is uncertainty. So if you can’t change your plans quickly then maybe think about it. But there is uncertainty — we can’t predict what the data is going to tell us before we’ve got the data.“We’re trying to take a balanced and proportionate approach so people can see their families over Christmas, to try and plan some stuff, but of course it is difficult to anticipate because we don’t have that future data yet.”The minister said she hadn’t made any plans for New Year’s Eve, adding: “At one point — a long time ago — I was hoping to be skiing, but those plans were changed a while ago.”In a separate interview minutes earlier on Sky News, Ms Keegan also did not rule out further measures after Christmas when asked whether new restrictions were a question of “when not if”.“Well, obviously we’ve said we have to keep that option open as we are looking at cases that are going up at the moment and we are looking at hospitalisations going up,” she said.“Obviously we do have to reserve that option. We will not hesitate to do what is required to keep people safe, but right now the balance is and proportionate response is, we believe, the one that we put in place”.Labour frontbencher Jonathan Ashworth, however, urged the prime minister to outline a plan detailing any future Covid restrictions that may be introduced after Christmas and accused him of “kicking the can dow the road”.Speaking to ITV’s Good Morning Britain, however, Mr Ashworth stressed that while “nobody wants to see lockdowns” over Christmas, Mr Johnson had “missed that window of opportunity to do anything in the run-up”.He said: “We’re all anticipating some form of restrictions post-Christmas, so Johnson is kicking the can down the road if you like.“But I think people just need to know where they stand. We need a bit of certainty, we need to know what’s he anticipating for the future, and I think he should outline the plan”.Later, on social media, the shadow work and pensions secretary added: “We have no certainty about what comes next. Boris Johnson should outline what the next stages could be so families and business can plan. People need to know where they stand post Christmas”. More

The emergence of the Omicron variant is causing concern around the world, not least because it is thought to be highly transmissible and because the 32 mutations of its spike protein suggest it might be able to resist current vaccines.The UK has recorded 12 deaths from the new variant so far and 45,145 confirmed cases, prompting fears that further social restrictions could be imposed on the British public in the final days leading up to Christmas, dashing the festive plans of millions. However, the Prime Minister has confirmed that no further restrictions will be introduced before Christmas, explaining that “that people can go ahead with their Christmas plans”.But Boris Johnson also reiterated that he cannot rule out further measures in the following days – leaving open the possibility of new controls on pubs and nightclubs by New Year’s Eve.‘Rule nothing out’He explained: “So what I can say is that naturally we can’t rule out any further measures after Christmas – and we’re going to keep a constant eye on the data, and we’ll do whatever it takes to protect public health.”The announcement comes a day after he told reporters that the Government were still deciding whether or not to impose further restrictions.He said ministers were monitoring the data “hour by hour” and that the arguments for taking further action were “very, very finely balanced”.“Unfortunately I must say to people that we will have to reserve the possibility of taking further action to protect the public, to protect public health, to protect our NHS,” he added. “We are looking at all kinds of things to keep Omicron under control and we will rule nothing out.”The prime minister is understood to be waiting for more data on Omicron to become available before he makes a decision, a stance that has already seen him accused of “dithering” by scientists and his political opponents.London mayor Sadiq Khan has declared a major incident over the extent of the outbreak in the capital while NHS England has announced a return to its highest level of emergency preparedness, level four national incident, meaning that the health service’s response will be coordinated as a national effort, rather than led by individual trusts. Overall, the UK added another 90,000 infections in 24 hours on Tuesday, That compares to about 27,000 cases on 19 December 2020, the day Mr Johnson “cancelled” Christmas with “a very heavy heart.”Chief scientific officer Sir Patrick Vallance is said to have led the call for fresh measures to drive down infection rates and ease the pressure on the NHS.Sir Patrick’s fellow advisers have been equally outspoken, with Professor Stephen Reicher, a member of the government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), warning that Omicron is “coming at us like an express train” and insisting that the government must give the public a “good, clear message” about how “serious the crisis is”.The prospect of introducing a two-week circuit-breaker lockdown after Christmas has been mooted – and appears likely to be broadly popular with the public – with plans made available to ministers for consideration and apparently including a ban on meeting others indoors except for work purposes and limiting pubs and restaurants to outdoor service only. It is clear the PM hopes the takeup of booster vaccines, along with the partial “Plan B” restrictions recently introduced, will be enough to see off the threat.As part of those measures, Britons are currently again being ordered to wear face masks in shops, cinemas, theatres and places of worship and on public transport, to work from home order where possible.The government has further revised its approach to boosters, planning to make them available to all over-18s by the end of December and halving the amount of time between second and third injections from six months to three, all in the hope of staving off the feared “tidal wave” of infections we are already beginning to see.Some form of “Plan C” — a circuit-breaker, or tighter restrictions — could be necessary if Omicron starts to disrupt the NHS over the festive season, but there is little political appetite for any kind of fourth national lockdown, even if it were enforceable.Sage advisers have been unambiguous in calling for stricter curbs, with the influential Professor Neil Ferguson of Imperial College London openly entertaining the possibility for several weeks.Even before Omicron began to cast its sinister shadow across the globe, many Britons were already glancing anxiously towards the continent as Austria and the Netherlands reintroduced lockdowns in response to spiking cases of Covid-19.The World Health Organisation (WHO) had said it was “very worried” about the spread in Europe and warned 700,000 more deaths could be recorded by March unless urgent action is taken, bringing the total to 2.2 million since the pandemic began.Prior to the latest worrying developments sparked by Omicon, Mr Johnson’s government had been reluctant to reimpose restrictions at all, despite consistently high case numbers.While the vaccines have consistently kept death rates low since the spring, infection levels have remained consistently high, typically hovering around the 40,000-per-day mark but in recent days have been more than double that.Mr Johnson may also be concerned that further restrictons might lead to social disorder, having seen anti-lockdown protests – some of them violent – erupt in Austria, the Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, Denmark, Italy and Croatia.Londoners were certainly unhappy about the initial return of the mask mandate, accusing the PM of hypocrisy for declining to wear one himself at several public engagements.However, in other quarters, there appeared to be a clear appetite for new restrictions even before Omicron, at least according to the polls.A recent survey of 900 managers and 1,200 employees carried out by Hack Future Lab found 53 per cent would welcome a “festive lockdown” for the sake of their own well-being after struggling to come to terms with the return to ordinary working conditions, often finding themselves forced to take on extra tasks to cover for absent colleagues.Another poll by Savanta ComRes revealed 45 per cent of adults would be in favour of a selective lockdown targeting only those who had declined to get their Covid jabs and therefore could pose an ongoing risk to othersBut, until Omicron threw a fresh spanner into the works, there was a credible case for believing that the UK was in such a strong position that it could avoid the worst of the outbreak marauding across Europe.Omicron variant shows just how ‘perilous’ Covid situation is, WHO saysAlthough Britain’s infection rate has remained high for months, it has also been highly stable, lingering at a seven-day average of around 600 daily cases per million people, whereas Austria and the Netherlands have suddenly spiked to 1,500 and 1,250 respectively from well below that starting point since the beginning of October.Part of the reason for this is that the UK was hit by the more infectious Alpha and Delta variants of the coronavirus sooner and was therefore able to tackle them ahead of its European neighbours and unlock earlier. 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The Metropolitan Police has referred itself to the police watchdog over a complaint suggesting its handling of allegations of a party at Downing Street last Christmas could amount to “aiding and abetting a criminal offence”.In her letter, sent the day before leaked footage showed No 10 staff joking about potential media questions about an alleged event on 18 December last year, Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb criticised Commissioner Dame Cressida Dick’s “refusal” to investigate the allegations.The Green Party peer also argued that due to the “extensive” police presence in Downing Street, there is a “case to answer” for the force “aiding and abetting a criminal offence, or deliberately failing to enforce the law in favour of government politicians and their staff”.In a letter to the Green Party on Tuesday, Scotland Yard said her complaint had been split into two parts – one of which it had referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), and the other to the London Mayor’s Office for Policing And Crime (MOPAC).“I have referred your complaint to the Independent Office for Police Conduct given that you effectively allege misconduct in public office by MPS police officers,” said the Met’s directorate of professional standards, Acting Detective Chief Superintendent Tony O’Sullivan. “The IOPC will now make a determination as to whether the complaint needs to be investigated and if so, how.”The watchdog’s decision will be made by the end of the week, if not sooner, The Independent understands.Confirming that the IOPC had received the Met’s self-referral, a spokesperson said: “We are assessing it to determine what, if any, further action may be required from us.”The watchdog will likely assess to what extent Baroness Jones herself has been personally affected by the matter while considering how to respond to her complaint.A Met inspector said the second part relates to Lady Jones’s complaint regarding Dame Cressida, adding: “The Metropolitan Police Service is not the appropriate authority to handle complaints about the commissioner and, as such, this has been referred to MOPAC.”In her complaint, Lady Jones claimed Dame Cressida’s “refusal” to investigate could amount to “a conflict of interest and a potential coverup” – arguing that police “must” have known of the event if it took place due to their “extensive presence” at No 10, “including their role in controlling all access to and from” the building.Former No 10 communications director Alastair Campbell, who worked in Tony Blair’s government, has also since questioned whether it is possible that police officers – and the prime minister – would not have been aware of such an event taking place within the building.But Conservative chief whip Mark Spencer has argued that “no single person could account for what’s happening in those buildings – they are huge buildings”, with “hundreds and hundreds of offices and rooms”.It is alleged that the event last December, at a time when London was under Tier 3 Covid restrictions, saw officials and advisers make speeches, enjoy a cheese board, drink together and exchange Secret Santa gifts – although the prime minister is not thought to have attended.Shortly after the allegations were first printed in the Daily Mirror, Mr Johnson’s former press secretary Allegra Stratton quit her government role in response to leaked footage of her joking about the alleged incident with fellow aides at a mock press conference last December.In a statement the day after Ms Stratton’s resignation – and after Lady Jones’s complaint – Scotland Yard said it would not investigate the matter, but said that any evidence gathered by an internal government inquiry would be passed to the force for consideration.“The correspondence and footage does not provide evidence of a breach of the health protection regulations but restates allegations made in the media,” the statement said. “Based on the absence of evidence and in line with our policy not to investigate retrospective breaches of such regulations, the Met will not commence investigation.”Cabinet secretary Simon Case last week “recused” himself from leading the government’s internal inquiry after The Independent and other outlets reported allegations of an impromptu drinks for 15-20 people held in and around his office in the second week in December last year.Another senior civil servant, Sue Gray, has since been appointed to lead the investigation, which now covers multiple – but not all – allegations of rule-breaking parties across Whitehall in the run-up to Christmas last year.Additional reporting by PA More

Britain remains under the threat of tough new Covid restrictions over the New Year and into January, despite Boris Johnson giving the go-ahead to Christmas celebrations.The prime minister confirmed families can gather and venues stay open this weekend – arguing there is not “enough evidence” to impose curbs – but warned they remain on the table for “after Christmas” if needed.Ministers are waiting on crucial data on the extent to which rising Omicron infections will trigger a level of hospital cases that would swamp the NHS – figures are expected on Wednesday.Restrictions that would return England to the near-lockdown of last April – with curbs on household mixing and the return of social distancing rules – are still being considered.But Mr Johnson is also facing a fight in his own cabinet to agree any further restrictions, after a majority of his senior ministers opposed them at an emergency meeting on Monday.In a video message, Mr Johnson sought to lift the uncertainty over festive get-togethers, telling people: ‘We don’t think today that there is enough evidence to justify any tougher measures before Christmas.”However, he warned the situation remained “finely balanced” and said: “Naturally we can’t rule out any further measures after Christmas – and we’re going to keep a constant eye on the data.”The continued uncertainty came as hospitality and leisure businesses criticised a £1bn support package unveiled by Rishi Sunak as inadequate, one likening it to a “dud cracker on Christmas Day”.Some scientists were quick to attack the further delay to any decision, despite the government’s own advisers warning the NHS is at risk without stringent measures now.Professor Lawrence Young, a virologist at the Warwick Medical School, said: “This is a very risky approach and is very likely to result in the need for more stringent restrictions in the near future.”And Dr Peter English, a former chair of the BMA public health medicine committee, warned: “It now seems inevitable that the NHS and many other public and private services will be overwhelmed in January. Action now can reduce the harm done; but it is too late to prevent it altogether.”At a briefing for MPs, the chief scientific adviser, Sir Patrick Vallance, said it was a “certainty” that infection rates will continue to rise, as many NHS staff are forced off work.The paralysis in Downing Street came despite Nicola Sturgeon announcing further restrictions in Scotland, where football crowds will be limited to 500 fans and pubs allowed table service only.Wales, which has already banned crowds at sporting events from Boxing Day, is poised to unveil further curbs on Wednesday, after the Welsh parliament was recalled.In contrast, Mr Johnson did not face any questions about his decisions, as he shunned a press conference in favour of the video message recorded in No 10.He pointed to “continuing uncertainty” about the severity and hospitalisation rate of the Omicron variant, amid some evidence that fast-rising infections are plateauing.“We continue to monitor Omicron very closely and if the situation deteriorates we will be ready to take action if needed,” the prime minister said.“What this means is that people can go ahead with their Christmas plans but the situation remains finely balanced.”Wes Streeting MP, Labour’s shadow health secretary, said people would be “breathing a sigh of relief that Christmas is going ahead as planned”.But he added: “Boris Johnson is too weak to get any measures to keep the country safe through his cabinet.“The prime minister is focused on clinging on to his job, half his cabinet are preparing their leadership campaigns, and the country is left with no plan to deal with the imminent threat of Omicron.” More

Liz Truss was today accused of using her new Brexit responsibilities to position herself for a future Tory leadership contest, after she told European Commission vice-president Maroš Šefčovič in their first phone talks that she was ready to suspend the UK/EU agreement on the Irish border by invoking Article 16.To some observers, Boris Johnson’s appointment of the foreign secretary to lead Brexit talks is a way to broker a less belligerent approach to Brussels, after David Frost’s repeated threats to suspend the Northern Ireland Protocol at the risk of an EU trade war.She also signed up to the PM’s climbdown on the European Court of Justice, which is thought to have played a part in provoking the resignation of her predecessor, known in Brussels as Frosty the No-man for his refusal to make concessions.But she today sought to project a hardline stance, insisting that “the UK position has not changed” and telling Mr Šefčovič that Britain remains ready to trigger Article 1 if barriers to the flow of goods between Northern Ireland and the British mainland are not eased.ECJ oversight of the protocol had long been an obstacle to agreement, due to Lord Frost’s insistence on sovereignty grounds that the court’s involvement must be entirely removed.But new UK proposals would allow it to retain its role interpreting EU rules which continue to operate in the province because of Mr Johnson’s decision to create a customs border in the Irish Sea. Ms Truss echoed the language used by the UK when announcing the climbdown last week, saying that the ECJ must not be “the final arbiter of disputes between us”.Liberal Democrat foreign affairs spokesperson Layla Moran accused Ms Truss – who backed Remain in the 2016 referendum – of trying to use the issue to position herself for a future Tory leadership contest.“When this brief was given to the foreign secretary, we hoped it was time for a more diplomatic approach,” said Ms Moran.“Instead, it’s like Lord Frost never left. Triggering Article 16 will only lead to a ruinous trade war – harming British businesses just at the moment when they need support.“The reality is that Truss cares more about her reputation with the Tory party faithful than she does about what’s in Britain’s interest. The Conservative leadership contest psychodrama is only just beginning.”In a statement released following today’s talks, Ms Truss said that the UK is seeking a “constructive relationship with the EU, underpinned by trade and our shared belief in freedom and democracy”, adding: “Resolving the current issues is critical to unleashing that potential.”But she added: “The UK position has not changed. We need goods to flow freely between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, end the role of the ECJ as the final arbiter of disputes between us, and resolve other issues.“We must pick up the pace on talks in the New Year. Our preference remains to reach an agreed solution.“If this does not happen, we remain prepared to trigger Article 16 safeguards to deal with the very real problems faced in Northern Ireland and to protect the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement in all its dimensions.”In his own statement, Mr Šefčovič said he was “committed to continue working towards a conclusive understanding with the UK on practical solutions for NI stakeholders”.He added: “The EU’s position is known. Our goal: stability and predictability.” More

Millions of Britons are already taking precautionary measures to guard against catching Covid and having to self-isolate over the Christmas weekend as the omicron variant continues to sweep through the country, polling suggests.A majority plan to self-police in the absence of tighter restrictions by using lateral flow tests before meeting others, keeping their distance when doing so and washing their hands more frequently, according to an Ipsos Mori poll.The survey is published as debate continues to rage within the scientific community and government about whether harsher curbs than those set out in plan B are required to stop infections surging further and to prevent the NHS from becoming overwhelmed with patients.Prime minister Boris Johnson has defied the advice of some Sage members and his cabinet to delay a decision on introducing new measures. He said current data did not justify a fresh lockdown.New data on the severity of omicron is expected imminently.YouGov’s poll, conducted between 16 and 18 December, suggests the public is waiting for ministers’ decisions to decide how they should behave in during the pandemic. It said some 89 per cent of those surveyed plan to wear their face mask more while the same proportion are alreadyor will start sanitising or washing their hands more regularly.Meahwhile, 81 per cent are keeping or plan to keep their distance while socialising, such as not hugging or shaking hands with people. Around the same proportion (80 per cent) have followed government guidance by already having or planing to have their booster jab. Gideon Skinner, head of political research at Ipsos MORI, said public views on Covid rules are still “split”. “Few expect there to be a quick return to normality, and on the restrictions themselves as throughout the pandemic most people think they are about right or not strict enough – only a small minority (although a slightly increasing one) think they are too strict,” he said.”But views are split – not quite half think the restrictions are not strict enough, and there is a clear age divide, with older people more in favour of tighter restrictions than the young.”Some 67 per cent of people Ipsos Mori spoke to said they have or plan to test themselves with lateral flow tests more regularly while the same number are shopping online rather than in store in order to avoid catching the virus.A majority of Britons are also taking matters into their own hands by avoiding public transport (58 per cent have done so or plan to), not attending social gatherings in friends or family’s houses and not going to pubs or restaurants (both 57 per cent). Just under half (45 per cent) of workers say they are or are going to work from home instead of the office, while 47 per cent that they have not/plan not to attend their work Christmas party.When asked to consider the restrictions currently in place to limit the spread of the coronavirus, just over four in ten say they are not strict enough (44 per cent) while 36 per cent say they are about right and another 16 per cent that they are too strict.The British public’s decision to reduce social contact as omicron spreads has badly hit some businesses, particularly those in the hospitality and entertainment sectors, who have had Christmas bookings cancelled and takings slump due to reduced footfall in towns and cities across the country.After coming under pressure from the MPs, lobbyists and the Labour Party Rishi Sunak, the chancellor, who is against against further lockdowns, announced on Tuesday a financial package for firms affected by the surge in cases.He has offered a £1 billion support package to businesses hit by Covid restrictions amid concerns over the “eye-wateringly high” transmission of the omicron variant.The package includes one-off grants of up to £6,000 per premises for businesses in the affected sectors in England, which the Treasury expects will be administered by local authorities and to be available in the coming weeks.The government also intends to use taxpayers’ cash to cover the cost of statutory sick pay for Covid-related absences for firms with fewer than 250 employees. Cultural organisations in England can also access a further £30 million funding during the winter via the culture recovery fund, the Treasury said.Shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves said Labour “will be going through the details” of the new measures and claimed that the government had been “dragged kicking and screaming” to announce them.The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) welcomed the move but said that a “wider support package” could be needed if further restrictions are brought in in future.”We are pleased that the chancellor heard our call for additional grant funding for hospitality and leisure businesses, which will provide some much-needed support in the face of this increasingly difficult trading period,” said BCC director general Shevaun Haviland.”Clarity and speed will be needed to ensure that these grants are paid out swiftly to help these hard-pressed firms weather the next few weeks.”Whilst these measures are a positive starting point, if restrictions persist or are tightened further, then we would need to see a wider support package, equal to the scale of any new measures, put in place.”On Monday, a further 91,743 lab-confirmed Covid cases were recorded in the UK, and another 44 people had died within 28 days of testing positive for the disease. 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