Contributions
1,122 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDHigh Street BusinessesThe Chancellor announced last year that from the next financial year, 2026-27, we intend to introduce permanently lower tax rates for retail hospitality and leisure properties. A…17 Jul 2025HANSARDTopical QuestionsThe Government-backed invest in women taskforce is addressing many of these issues through its ecosystem working group, which promotes better access to networks, to support and to…17 Jul 2025HANSARDSupport for Cycle ManufacturersFirst, I commend the hon. Lady for the humour in her question. As she will recognise, this is Business and Trade Question Time, not Treasury Question Time, where tax measures are…17 Jul 2025HANSARDHospitality SectorI completely agree with the hon. Lady about the huge importance of hospitality to all our communities and to helping many people who have difficult routes into employment to get…17 Jul 2025HANSARDHigh Street BusinessesTo breathe life back into Britain’s high streets, we are addressing antisocial behaviour and crime, rolling out banking hubs, stamping out late payments, establishing a licensing…17 Jul 2025HANSARDHigh Street BusinessesThe hon. Gentleman makes an interesting point about what further measures we can take to bear down on the cost of regulation for small businesses. It is one reason the Chancellor…17 Jul 2025HANSARDSME Operating CostsAbsolutely. We want to hear from businesses up and down the UK, across different sectors, about the practical measures that we can take to support them and their plans to grow and…17 Jul 2025HANSARDHigh Street BusinessesWe have taken a range of measures to support businesses such as the one the hon. Gentleman mentions. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced our plans for a business…17 Jul 2025HANSARDIndependent RetailersWe have frozen the small business multiplier for 2025-26, protecting over 1 million ratepayers from bill increases, and we are creating a fairer business rates system that…17 Jul 2025HANSARDSME Operating CostsI have to apologise to the hon. Lady, because I have not yet seen the Liberal Democrats’ policy proposals, but I look forward to that treat over the summer. I am grateful to her…17 Jul 2025HANSARDSME Operating CostsYes, Madam Deputy Speaker. I gently say to the hon. Lady that in a recent survey almost three quarters of SME businesses were confident about the future. She is right to challenge…17 Jul 2025HANSARDHigh Street BusinessesOne reason the hon. Gentleman’s party lost the confidence of business is that it promised many, many times that it would reform business rates and never did. The Chancellor of the…17 Jul 2025HANSARDHigh Street BusinessesBefore I had heard about the attractions of Warrington, I had heard about those of Consett. I was pleased to visit my hon. Friend’s constituency and meet many of the great…17 Jul 2025HANSARDIndependent RetailersI know that Northamptonshire has a thriving retail and wholesale sector, and I commend my hon. Friend for championing the jobs and businesses in his constituency. He rightly says…17 Jul 2025HANSARDHospitality SectorI thank the hon. Lady for her kind invitation. It is possible that I will be darkening the door of businesses in her constituency this summer. We are determined to continue…17 Jul 2025HANSARDHospitality SectorI recognise that my hon. Friend is a great champion of businesses in his constituency, and I was pleased to meet one of them when I was there recently. I absolutely recognise the…17 Jul 2025HANSARDHigh Street BusinessesThe hon. Gentleman is one of those Conservative Front Benchers who have yet to tell us, if they do not like the increase in national insurance contributions, how they would pay…17 Jul 2025HANSARDHigh Street BusinessesOne measure that the hon. Gentleman referenced was business rates. As I said in answer to previous questions, we are determined to introduce permanently lower business rates for…17 Jul 2025HANSARDHospitality SectorOne of the most important measures that will help the hospitality sector is business rates reform. We have set out our commitment to do that, and we are working with all the…17 Jul 2025HANSARDHospitality SectorI very much sympathise with my hon. Friend’s frustration about what both the SNP and the Conservatives have done to free parking in his constituency. I sympathise because the…17 Jul 2025