Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Gareth Thomas and Mike Amesbury

Thursday 5th September 2024 Commons Chamber

[Mike Amesbury (Runcorn and Helsby) (Lab)]

T4. I welcome the ministerial team to their places. Business rates are a broken system that has hollowed out many high streets up and down the country. We are rightly committed to radically reforming that. What recent discussions have Ministers had with the Treasury to make sure that we do that at pace? Will a Minister meet me so that I can establish a banking hub in my Runcorn and Helsby constituency?

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business and Trade (Gareth Thomas)]

I would be happy to meet my hon. Friend to discuss the question about a banking hub in his constituency. As he will have heard in answers that I gave earlier, reform of the business rates system to tackle some of the egregious disincentives in respect of the need to invest in our high streets and the competition from online giants is something we took seriously in opposition and continue to take seriously in government. Colleagues in the Treasury are working hard to bring forward proposals to reform the business rates system.