Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Clive Betts and Penny Mordaunt

Monday 16th March 2015 Commons Chamber

[Penny Mordaunt]

My hon. Friend is right that our town centres and high streets are enjoying a resurgence. Last year’s report by Southampton university showed that our high streets have been outperforming out-of-town areas since 2013. I congratulate both Redditch traders on their achievements and my hon. Friend on her support of them. I sincerely hope that those traders will consider entering the great British high street competition this year, which we launched last week.

[Mr Clive Betts (Sheffield South East) (Lab)]

Will the Minister give a guarantee to the House that the criteria for the recently announced review of business rates will include the fact that there will not be a single penny’s reduction in funding to local councils as a result of that review?

[Penny Mordaunt]

I would point out to the hon. Gentleman that we are not in the business of giving rate relief to penalise other sectors, whether it is the business sector or the public sector. The relief that I have just outlined has been funded by central Government. We have not been penalising business. The hon. Gentleman can make submissions to the review, but I have to tell him that the review has been welcomed by business.

Firefighters’ Pension Scheme (England)

Debate between Clive Betts and Penny Mordaunt

Monday 15th December 2014 Commons Chamber

[Penny Mordaunt]

I will make some progress.

[Mr Clive Betts (Sheffield South East) (Lab)]

On a point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker. Is it not a convention of the House that, when an intervention is taken, the speaker addresses that intervention and answers it before taking another intervention?