Member of Parliament for Clwyd South, Simon Baynes MP, has welcomed the news that the Employment (Allocation of Tips) Act 2023, also known as the Tips Bill, has received Royal Assent this week and will now be made law.
Simon Baynes MP spoke in support of this Bill in the House of Commons earlier this year, as Clwyd South is an area full of tourism and hospitality businesses. Mr Baynes spoke of his keen interest in supporting hospitality workers, particularly the younger people that often make up the sector’s workforce, and part of this is ensuring that they are properly remunerated.
The Tips Bill will help to make sure that workers in the hospitality industry receive the tips and gratuities given by customers, rather than businesses retaining them. The legislation will protect the rights of staff and will ensure that they receive their fair share of tips and gratuities.
It was introduced as a Private Members Bill by Dean Russell, Member of Parliament for Watford, following several years campaigning for the change in law and taken through the final stages in Parliament and the Lords with Virginia Crosbie, Member of Parliament for Ynys Môn, and Lord Robathan.
Dean Russell MP said:
“I was really honoured to have support of so many colleagues from across the House of Commons and the House of Lords, including Simon Baynes MP, to make the Tips Bill a reality.
Without Simon Baynes MP’s support, combined with Government backing and the work of Virginia Crosbie MP and Lord Robathan, this Bill would not have happened. Thanks to this teamwork, the lives of many people will be improved in my constituency in Watford, and Clwyd South.”
Simon Baynes MP said:
“I was pleased to back the Tips Bill which will ensure fairness for hospitality workers across Clwyd South and the elsewhere in the UK.
“The hospitality industry is always of huge interest to me, both in my capacity as Member of Parliament for Clwyd South, and on a personal note – I grew up in the hospitality industry. My father ran Lake Vyrnwy Hotel in Wales, which is only a few miles south of Clwyd South, and my brothers and I used to work for my father in the holidays. I know that this law will make a significant difference to those working in the hospitality sector and I am proud to support this campaign.”