It would appear that arcades and FECs in Scotland will be permitted to reopen on July15.
The tourism minister on Wednesday confirmed that tourism and hospitality businesses would be permitted to open on that date, if the continued progress in addressing Covid-19 is achieved. This is, however, a provisional date and it will be confirmed on July 9.
It will hopefully provide the start of some relief for UK arcades and FECs. Although the Scottish announcement did not specifically refer to our industry, BACTA, the trade association for Britain, ‘understands’ that it covers arcades.
It continues to lobby for the English FECs to be given the go-ahead and it is also hoping for positive news from the Welsh Government about relief for the arcades in Wales. In Northern Ireland, BACTA keeps a watching brief as that country has its own trade representation in NIACTA.
