Oral Answers to Questions

David Nuttall Excerpts

Monday 8th September 2014 Commons Chamber

[Stephen Williams]

We have announced a £400 million fund for local authorities to bid to create new housing zones, with 20 in London and 10 around the country. With the additional money the Mayor of London is putting in, that is a £600 million investment. We will also publish a consultation next month on further measures to get planning permissions on brownfield sites, and we are working with local authorities to produce a support package, available from next March, to further encourage the use of brownfield land. There is, therefore, a lot of activity taking place in this area.

[Mr David Nuttall (Bury North) (Con)]

4. How many shops in Bury North constituency have benefited from the reduction in business rates.

[Stephen McPartland (Stevenage) (Con)]

5. How many shops in (a) England and (b) Stevenage constituency have benefited from the reduction in business rates.

--- Later in debate ---

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (Kris Hopkins)]

We are providing £1 billion for the business rates support package, including a £1,000 discount for smaller shops, businesses and restaurants. We estimate that about 300,000 retail premises will benefit from this discount in England, including more than 1,000 retail premises in Bury; nearly 400 retail premises in Stevenage; more than 800 in East Hertfordshire and 600 in North Hertfordshire; more than 1,000 retail premises in Norwich and 300 in Broadland; and 1,000 retail premises in Dudley.

[Mr Nuttall]

I thank the Minister for that reply. Does he agree that the business rate relief, together with the new employment allowance, makes a vital contribution to maintaining the viability of parades of small shops such as those on Mile lane in my constituency?

[Kris Hopkins]

It is important to recognise that the Department is playing a role, as are the rest of Government, to get business going, to make sure that communities can stand on their own feet and to support very small businesses. That is why a £1,000 discount this year and next year will help those businesses.