Stephanie Peacock

I am grateful to my hon. Friend for that important point. As he illustrates, and from the visit that the Prime Minister made when he was the Mayor of Manchester, I am sure that he will be very supportive. I do not want to speak for him, but I will reflect it to his Parliamentary Private Secretary. I see the importance of pubs in my area and my constituency of Barnsley South. I take this opportunity to thank and pay tribute to Dan at the Cross Keys pub in Darfield, who has made the pub a brilliant community hub. As he moves on, I wish him and the team the very best. It is just one of the brilliant pubs that Barnsley has to offer. I attended the British Beer and Pub Association dinner and awards evening earlier this month and had the privilege of meeting John Longden, the chief executive officer of Pub is The Hub. I join Members from across the House in paying tribute to him and the work that he has done. As many Members will know, Pub is The Hub is a not-for-profit that helps rural and remote pubs to diversify their businesses and to provide essential local community services. The evening saw brewers, pub operators, suppliers and patrons celebrate the industry, with awards presented to extraordinary community champions. To support pubs and venues directly, the Government have launched a £10 million hospitality grant. Over £3 million of that funding has been awarded to Pub is The Hub to support its work. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government announced a £210 million funding package for our high streets, including £125 million for derelict buildings and £65 million for community ownership. The Government have previously supported pubs through alcohol duty reforms, including introducing and expanding draught relief for products below 8.5% alcohol by volume and cutting duty on qualifying draught drinks in February 2025.