Smoke-free laws – Changes from 1 March 2021

On 1 March, the law around where people can smoke in Wales is changing. This means that hospital grounds, school grounds, public playgrounds, and outdoor care settings for children will be required to be smoke-free. It will be an offence to smoke in a smoke-free area and anyone caught breaking the law could face a £100 fine. The legislation will also make changes in the tourism sector. There are currently exemptions that allow smoking in self-contained holiday and temporary accommodation (cottages, caravans, chalets and Airbnb etc.) and for hotels, guesthouses, inns, hostels and members’ clubs to have smoking bedrooms. The new legislation keeps these exemptions, but only for a limited […]

Lockdown to continue for further three weeks as pupils return to school

Stay-at-home restrictions will continue in Wales as the youngest pupils begin returning to school from Monday, First Minister Mark Drakeford confirmed today. Following the latest review of coronavirus restrictions, the Welsh Government also announced some minor changes to the current rules: From Saturday 20 February, four people from two different households will be able to meet outdoors for socially distanced local exercise. This doesn’t apply to private gardens.From March 1, the law will be changed to allow licensed wedding venues, such as visitor attractions and hotels, to re-open but only to perform wedding and civil partnership ceremonies.Sport Wales will make arrangements for more of our talented athletes to resume training […]

Sport Sector Private Provider Fund

The Sport Sector Private Provider Fund provides financial support to private and commercial providers. The fund aims to ensure that private businesses are able to emerge from the coronavirus pandemic to continue providing opportunities which keep people active across Wales. The fund is for private and commercial providers who directly deliver physical activity opportunities to the public in Wales such as: commercial gymsdance and fitness studiosgolf courseshorse riding providersmotorsport providersskate parkstrampoline parks Grants of £5,000 and £15,000 (depending on annual turnover) will be made available to those who are able to show that they have a net loss from operations that would have taken place in Wales, since April 2020, […]

WG Restrictions Business Fund Reopening

Further support for non-essential retail, hospitality, leisure and tourism and other businesses forced or required to close or significantly impacted by the ongoing restrictions: Restrictions Business Fund – Non-Domestic Rates (NDR) grants for non-essential retail, hospitality, leisure and tourism (NERHLT) sectors and their supply chainwill provide a single top up payment to cover the period between the 25 January and end of March 2021Now extended to include NERHLT businesses with a RV of £150,001 – 500,000. Automated payments will be made to those businesses that are eligible and have already received a Restrictions Grant payment. Those that have not previously received a Restrictions Grant payment will have to register with […]

Pay VAT deferred due to coronavirus

The Government has announced the opening of a new VAT Deferral Scheme to run from 23 February and 21 June 2021. This scheme allows businesses who deferred VAT payments due during the first national lockdown to make the repayments in 2-11 instalments (via DD) instead of one lump sum. You need to register to join the scheme directly, rather than through an agent, and do so by 21 June, setting the repayment schedule thereafter. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/deferral-of-vat-payments-due-to-coronavirus-covid-19