Oral Answers to Questions

Esther McVey Excerpts

Monday 5th September 2011 Commons Chamber

[Mr David Burrowes (Enfield, Southgate) (Con)]

3. What the timetable is for the implementation of local retention of business rates.

[Esther McVey (Wirral West) (Con)]

6. What the timetable is for the implementation of local retention of business rates.

[Nadhim Zahawi (Stratford-on-Avon) (Con)]

7. What the timetable is for the implementation of local retention of business rates.

--- Later in debate ---

[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?