Business Rates: Retail, Hospitality and Leisure

Jessica Toale Excerpts

Monday 19th January 2026 Commons Chamber

[Dan Tomlinson]

I am glad that the hon. Member was able to ask the exact same question as the shadow Chancellor, the right hon. Member for Central Devon (Sir Mel Stride). I am not going to comment on the policymaking process in the run-up to the Budget.

[Jessica Toale (Bournemouth West) (Lab)]

Most fair-minded businesses recognise that covid-era subsidies could not last for ever, yet many in hospitality, including in my constituency, are worried about what bill will come through for their rates in April. Can the Minister reassure those businesses and outline what transitional support we are putting in place in the short term and how we are reforming rates in the long term?

[Dan Tomlinson]

I thank my hon. Friend for her question and for her continued representation for the small businesses in her Bournemouth constituency, where I know there is a vibrant and growing hospitality and leisure sector. We have implemented reforms to the system to rebalance business rates away from the high street and towards the online giants. I look forward to continuing to engage with her and other Members of Parliament on business rates, other issues and other steps that this Government can take to continue to support the high street and businesses in her constituency.

Oral Answers to Questions

Jessica Toale Excerpts

Tuesday 1st July 2025 Commons Chamber

[Emma Reynolds]

We are supporting growth across the country, and we will publish further details of how we will do that in the coming weeks.

[Jessica Toale (Bournemouth West) (Lab)]

13. What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the 10-year infrastructure strategy on economic growth.

[The Chief Secretary to the Treasury (Darren Jones)]

The 10-year infrastructure strategy is a key part of this Government’s growth mission, committing to a minimum of £725 billion of investment over the next 10 years in local transport, affordable homes, and modernising schools and hospitals in every part of the country.

[Jessica Toale]

I was pleased to see that the creative and digital industries, financial services, and clean energy were all included as priority sectors in the Government’s industrial strategy. Those sectors have huge potential in my constituency of Bournemouth West. Focusing on the latter, as a fellow south-west MP, what assessment has the Minister made of the Dorset clean energy super cluster’s potential for growth, jobs and bringing people’s bills down, not just in Bournemouth West but across the region?

[Darren Jones]

I thank my hon. Friend for championing the Dorset clean energy super cluster opportunity, which was announced by her council at the UK’s Real Estate Investment and Infrastructure Forum only recently. Offshore wind, hydrogen, nuclear, and carbon capture and storage are frontier technologies and industries that are at the heart of our clean energy sector plan, and they will create opportunities in every part of the country, including in the south-west.

Oral Answers to Questions

Jessica Toale Excerpts

Tuesday 20th May 2025 Commons Chamber

[Rachel Reeves]

My hon. Friend is a staunch defender of his constituency and region. We will make decisions at the spending review, which we will publish on 11 June, but as a proud northern MP, I am absolutely determined that the north gets its fair share of investment.

[Jessica Toale (Bournemouth West) (Lab)]

5. What steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to support growth in the night-time economy.

[Mr Bayo Alaba (Southend East and Rochford) (Lab)]

7. What steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to support growth in the night-time economy in Essex.

[The Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury (Torsten Bell)]

The night-time economy, and the hospitality sector more widely, is the beating heart of our cultural life, bringing to life the places we all call home. That is why this Government have cut draught duty and introduced a fairer, permanent business rates system. We all want our pubs, clubs and restaurants to thrive.

[Jessica Toale]

Last month, I met representatives of Bournemouth town centre’s night-time economy at one of the newest additions to our high street, Barbara’s Bier Haus. The sector is incredibly resilient but is grappling with a number of challenges, such as changing consumer behaviour and rising costs. One issue that is common across our hospitality and retail sectors is prohibitively high business rates. Can the Minister update us on the progress that we are making towards business rates reform, and tell us how this will give the night-time economy the security it needs to be prosperous?

[Torsten Bell]

I completely recognise my hon. Friend’s point. Last autumn, alongside announcing immediate support for retail, hospitality and leisure properties, the Government published a discussion paper setting out our priorities for wider reform, and I know the Exchequer Secretary has met a wide range of businesses on this subject. We are delivering permanently lower business rates for these sectors, and we will announce further policy details at the Budget in the autumn.