Oral Answers to Questions

Jeremy Lefroy Excerpts
Monday 18th June 2018

(6 years, 5 months ago)

Commons Chamber
Read Full debate Read Hansard Text Read Debate Ministerial Extracts
Jake Berry Portrait The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government (Jake Berry)
- Hansard - - - Excerpts

The hon. Gentleman will be aware that the Prime Minister recently announced a growth deal for Ayrshire, and I am delighted to tell him that the negotiations, led by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland, are now under way, but it can only proceed as fast as the slowest actors, so I hope the hon. Gentleman will use his not inconsiderable influence to pressurise the Scottish Government to play their part in the negotiations.

Jeremy Lefroy Portrait Jeremy Lefroy (Stafford) (Con)
- Hansard - -

T2. Will my hon. Friend advise me on when Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire will get their business rates retention?

Rishi Sunak Portrait The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government (Rishi Sunak)
- Hansard - - - Excerpts

My hon. Friend has been a long-standing advocate for rural funding in his county, and I am pleased to tell him that we will continue to pilot reform of the business rates retention system in the forthcoming year. We will publish details of the new pilot very shortly and would very much welcome Staffordshire’s application to become a pilot.