UK
Textile Services Association (TSA) CEO David Stevens has just issued a New Year update to the membership saying: “So much for the green shoots of recovery…However, the vaccine roll out is happening and as an industry I am sure together we will make this year a better one than last. Easter still feels like a landmark time for us all, we hopefully will know what 2021 may look like by then. “
He also announced TSA has a new website which launched this week “If you are interested in finding out more details about becoming a member, please check out the Membership section to see how your business can get involved, be supported and represented,” he said.
Our ‘Not so Happy Christmas Card’ (see LCN report here) was followed last week with another press release and a plea to members to continue to lobby their local MPs (see story here ).
Stevens commented that at least the supply chain is starting to get talked about, and pledged to keep up the momentum. “A petition to create a Minister for Hospitality in the UK Government has now reached over 200,000 signatures and Parliament debated this petition yesterday on 11 January. The supply chain gets a mention at minute 12 and 28. The immediate outcome from the debate has not agreed for a Hospitality Minister but the issues raised in the debate have been requested to be presented further to the Prime Minister.
“We are also in the process of gathering some individual case studies that can further be used to publicise the state of our industry. We have a new minister within BEIS the RH Kwasi Kwarteng MP so fresh ears who hopefully will be more respondent to our message,” he said.
Stevens also said UK Hospitality’s response to the new Government support that was announced last week mirror our opinion that it is not enough, however, Chief Executive, Kate Nicholls, did say “It is also encouraging that the discretionary grants address the suffering in the supply chains upon which our sector is reliant.”
TSA continues to have calls with NHSI and while all parties would like to move towards reusable isolation gowns it is becoming more apparent that the Government has enormous stocks of single use gowns that are being provided FOC to the Trusts at the moment, Stevens informed members.
“The numbers are estimated at over 200m so until this stock is diminished, we are not going to see significant movement. The TSA has agreed to facilitate an expert user group with the key healthcare prproviders subject to real and genuine buy-in from the Government.”
