Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Lord Pickles and Esther McVey

Monday 5th September 2011 Commons Chamber

[Mr Pickles]

I certainly hope so. We recognise the burden of rates on small businesses. That is why we are doubling small business rate relief until the end of September 2012. Approximately a third of a million business rate payers, including small shopkeepers, will pay no rates at all for this period, and through the Localism Bill we are giving authorities powers to grant business rates discounts as they see fit.

[Esther McVey]

Businesses on Wirral are concerned that the retention of business rates might result in increased business rates. As the party of the small business, how are we going to protect those small engines of growth in these difficult times?

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Lord Pickles and Esther McVey

Thursday 21st October 2010 Commons Chamber

[Mr Pickles]

That is an outrageous suggestion. For years upon years I stood at the Opposition Dispatch Box demanding that the money be released from the health authority to local authorities to deal with this. We have done that; the hon. Lady should be saying thank you.

[Esther McVey (Wirral West) (Con)]

Will the Secretary of State join me in welcoming the plan set out by Wirral council under its leader Jeff Green to tackle the debt left in the council by the previous, Labour, administration, first through introducing transparency by publishing all expenditure over £500 and, secondly, through a wide consultation with all the Wirral public?

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Lord Pickles and Esther McVey

Thursday 15th July 2010 Commons Chamber

[Esther McVey (Wirral West) (Con)]

7. What plans he has for the future of the Government office for the north-west.

[The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (Mr Eric Pickles)]

The coalition Government’s programme for government, published on 20 May, stated that

“we will abolish the Government Office for London and consider the case for abolishing the remaining Government Offices”.

We are currently discussing this with interested parties, including the trade unions.

[Esther McVey]

The north-west employs more public sector employees than any other region in the country apart from London. Although I welcome the Government’s plans to expand private enterprise in our local economy, assisted by the regional growth fund and local enterprise partnerships, will the Secretary of State explain how his Department plans to cushion that transition towards private sector enterprise, so that the people of the north-west and Merseyside can keep their jobs and continue to contribute to economic growth?

[Mr Pickles]

The north-west of England is, of course, a vibrant area full of people of enterprise. As my hon. Friend rightly says, the regional growth fund will provide targeted support to areas of deprivation, unlike the regional development agencies, which simply move one form of public money around to another public body. We will ensure that private investment is brought in and, in addition, we will have the local enterprise partnerships. She will also be aware that we will give national insurance incentives for firms in the north to create jobs, and extend small business rate relief to them. There will be diverse other measures.