Public Disorder: Business Damage

Lord Cotter Excerpts

Tuesday 13th September 2011 Lords Chamber

Asked By

[Lord Cotter]

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what progress is being made with the measures proposed to help businesses damaged or destroyed as a result of the recent riots in England.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (Baroness Wilcox)]

My Lords, the Government acted swiftly to set up a range of measures to support those businesses affected by the recent disturbances. Our immediate priority has been to get local communities back on their feet and to get high streets and businesses up and running again as quickly as possible. The response has been amazing. Businesses have been helping each other and there has been a great spirit abroad. My colleagues, Mark Prisk from BIS, Crispin Blunt from the Ministry of Justice, Damian Green from the Home Office and Bob Neill from the Department for Communities and Local Government, wrote to all MPs on 6 September updating them on the support for communities and businesses. I have arranged for a copy to be sent to my noble friend, as I recognise his involvement, over many years, in the concerns of small businesses.

[Lord Cotter]

I thank the Minister for her reply. It will take some time for businesses and communities to recover. I hope that the Minister will continue to monitor the situation. However, on a broader point—not just in relation to the recent riots—two-thirds of businesses nationally have been a victim of crime over the past 12 months. Can a higher profile be given to policing crimes against business, to remove the perception, which somehow seems to be the case, that these are victimless crimes and to ensure that firms are given proper advice and help?

[Baroness Wilcox]

I am only too delighted to confirm to my noble friend that this is something that the Government are looking at. These are not victimless crimes, particularly for small, family businesses, which are almost afraid to open up again. A lot of work is being done in this area. I have spoken with my noble friend Lady Browning, the Home Office Minister, who has responsibility for crime prevention. In the next few weeks, the Home Office will be releasing an improved self-assessment tool for businesses to identify their vulnerabilities, providing practical advice for how those can be overcome. That will be available through the Business Link website and, to comfort my noble friend, I shall stay in contact with him on any other areas that develop well