Carla Lockhart
Main Page: Carla Lockhart (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)Department Debates - View all Carla Lockhart's debates with the HM Treasury
Business Rates
Carla Lockhart Excerpts(1 day, 10 hours ago)
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Dan Tomlinson
I thank my hon. Friend for his representations on behalf of businesses in his constituency. The Government are clear that we will look at the pub and hotel methodologies specifically. I would be happy to have a conversation with him about issues for other sectors, but the Government will focus on pubs and hotels. However, I would be happy to meet, to see if I can make it up to his constituency.
Carla Lockhart (Upper Bann) (DUP)
Unfortunately, the Sinn Féin Finance Minister in Northern Ireland has not got the memo on the need to support our hospitality sector, and is pressing on with a rates revaluation that will see a hotel in my constituency experience a 267% rate rise. Will the Minister commit to sharing this Government’s hard learning about rates, and will he go further and reduce the VAT rate for hospitality as well?
Dan Tomlinson
The hon. Member is right that each devolved Government have full control over the structure and level of business rates in their part of the country. They set a business rates policy, retain all the revenues generated, and determine how they are spent.