Budget Resolutions

Jessica Toale Excerpts

Monday 2nd November 2026 Commons Chamber

[Jessica Toale (Bournemouth West) (Lab)]

I really welcome the change to the business rates threshold, which will take hundreds of businesses in Bournemouth town centre out of paying rates. However, has my right hon. Friend considered the knock-on impact on business improvement districts, which often step up to fill the gap when councils cannot keep the streets clean or keep shopfronts looking nice? As more areas are coming out of rates, what are the Government doing to look at the impact on BIDs?

[Angela Rayner]

We have been taking forward a number of measures, such as the overnight visitor levy, and working with businesses. As devolution pushes down into local communities, I hope there will be a role for the public realm as well as for businesses and innovators and for those in the community and voluntary sector who do so much as volunteers in our local community.

More broadly, we are also moving Government buildings on to high streets and improving design standards, with a whole-of-Government plan to show the public that the best days of our high streets are yet to come.