Oral Answers to Questions

Gary Sambrook Excerpts

Tuesday 29th November 2022 Commons Chamber

[Kevin Hollinrake]

That is a very important point. The Government are determined to tackle not just their own procurement practices, but those further afield. Clearly, we want to keep our markets open to international competition, because we want to compete internationally as well, but there also needs to be fair competition. Where we can prioritise the needs of British companies and British workers, we should do so.

[Gary Sambrook (Birmingham, Northfield) (Con)]

T9. Northfield Business Improvement District and I are eagerly awaiting the announcement of the levelling-up bid, especially the one for Northfield High Street. In the meantime, many local shops, especially independents, are in need of help to stay open. Can the Minister help Marcia and Andy from the Northfield BID and set out how the Government can help those businesses?

[Kevin Hollinrake]

I am grateful to my hon. Friend for standing up for his constituency businesses; I hope he is supporting Small Business Saturday this weekend, as I am sure hon. Members across the House will be. It is absolutely right that we are supporting businesses through these difficult times with the energy bill relief scheme and the £13.6 billion of rates support that they will see over the next five years, but we will continue to look at the needs of business to ensure that we have the right measures in place.