Daisy Cooper (St Albans) (LD)
On a point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker. Can you advise me on how I might elicit satisfactory responses to a series of written questions I have tabled to the Treasury on the impact of business rates on retail, hospitality and leisure businesses? I asked for very specific figures relating to the number of businesses that the Treasury expects to be eligible for transitionary reliefs, how many premises will be brought into paying rates for the first time as a result of the recent revaluations, and an analysis of the number of businesses that previously enjoyed retail, hospitality and leisure reliefs and would see increases from 1 April. None of those questions have received substantive replies. I raised the matter with the Leader of the House by letter before Christmas, but I have not yet had a response. Can you please advise me on whether any other routes are available to me and other parliamentarians, so that we can receive accurate and data-rich responses to questions, and can effectively scrutinise Government policy, which is hammering our high streets?
Madam Deputy Speaker (Judith Cummins)
I thank the hon. Lady for notice of her point of order, which will have been heard by Government Front Benchers. As has been said before, the Chair is not responsible for the content of Ministers’ answers. However, the Procedure Committee is conducting an inquiry into written parliamentary questions, which is accepting evidence until Friday 16 January. I am sure it will be interested in the issues that the hon. Lady has raised.
In the absence of the Member to present the Bill, we will move on to the next item of business.