Wedding Receptions

Oral Answers to Questions — The Executive Office – in the Northern Ireland Assembly at 2:30 pm on 19 April 2021.

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Photo of Rosemary Barton Rosemary Barton UUP 2:30, 19 April 2021

T5. Mrs Barton asked the First Minister and deputy First Minister to clarify the position with wedding receptions, including music and dancing, given that there must be something in the air in Fermanagh, with her being contacted by a number of couples over the weekend in relation to the reopening of hotels. (AQT 1195/17-22)

Photo of Arlene Foster Arlene Foster DUP

The Member is right to identify that. I had to deal with that over the weekend. Wedding receptions will be permitted on a risk-assessed basis from 24 May 2021, depending on the size of the venue. In that respect, it is like the situation with churches. We still do not have clarity on the matter of music and dancing, but we will continue to speak to our medical advisers about that. They are concerned that singing and dancing could cause some difficulties because they are aerobic activities, but we are very much aware of the issue and will be happy to come back to the House on it in due course.

Photo of Rosemary Barton Rosemary Barton UUP

The Minister will also be aware that many couples have organised and reorganised weddings and that many have lost deposits as a result of that. Where service providers have held on to those deposits, can they claim from the various COVID schemes and grants that have been made available?

Photo of Arlene Foster Arlene Foster DUP

The short answer, unfortunately, is that I am not over the detail of that. I am happy to take it to the Economy Minister who should, under consumer law, be able to provide some clarity about whether they can claim from some of the grant schemes because of the loss of deposit. Let me take that away and get the Economy Minister to come back to the Member about that.