Asked by: Lucy Allan (Conservative - Telford)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department is taking to support businesses that had applications for grant funding during the covid-19 outbreak declined because (a) their business rates are included in their rent or (b) they have a rateable value of over £51,000.
Answered by Steve Barclay - Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
a) The Small Business Grants Fund and the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grants Fund have been designed to support the smallest businesses, and smaller businesses in the some of the sectors which have been hit hardest by measures taken to prevent the spread of Covid-19. The two schemes have been tied to the business rates system and rating assessments, which together provide a framework for Local Authorities to make payments as quickly as possible. Businesses in the business rates system are also likely to face particularly high fixed costs, such as fixed rents.
In some shared spaces, individual users have their own rating assessments and may therefore be eligible for the grants schemes. In these cases, Local Authorities are urging landlords and management agents to support them in ensuring that the grants reach the correct ratepayers.
b) This Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant Fund has been designed to support small businesses in some of the sectors hit hardest by the measures taken to prevent the spread of covid-19. In order to ensure that payments can be made quickly and efficiently to businesses which are facing particularly high fixed costs, the scheme is tied to the business rates system. Under the business rates system, small businesses are defined as those with a rateable value below £51,000. The Government continues to review the economic situation and consider what support businesses need. However, there are currently no plans to extend the grants scheme above the £51,000 limit.
Businesses which are not eligible for the grants schemes should still be able to benefit from other measures in the Government’s unprecedented package of support for business, including:
Asked by: Lucy Allan (Conservative - Telford)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make it his policy to stop downwards phasing of transitional relief in the business rates system to support high streets in Telford constituency, the north of England and the Midlands and (b) if he will include this in the next Budget.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The current transitional relief scheme runs until the next business rates revaluation. Details of the scheme for the next revaluation will be confirmed before that revaluation.
The Government is committed to conducting a fundamental review of business rates. Further information will be announced in due course.
Asked by: Lucy Allan (Conservative - Telford)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans HM Revenue and Customs has for the future of its staff working at Abbey House and Parkside Court in Telford.
Answered by Mel Stride - Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
Telford will be a Specialist Site location for HMRC that will include Digital Technology and Corporate Service functions. Over the past two years we have redeployed some of our IT specialists previously contracted to ASPIRE into HMRC Digital Technology Services. We are committed to invest in specialist skills and training for all of our people.
HMRC’s Chief Digital Information Officer business area continues to recruit into Plaza (a nearby location), making opportunities available where possible to those HMRC staff in Abbey and Parkside and current workforce plans shows for this to continue. In addition Telford are also working to strengthen relationships with HMRC Birmingham as part of the West Midlands network, for example current initiatives include mental health networks.
Asked by: Lucy Allan (Conservative - Telford)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 18 March 2016 to Question 30728, what plans HM Revenue and Customs has for the future of its staff currently working in Abbey House and Parkside Court after the expiration of the leases of those buildings.
Answered by David Gauke
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) occupies Abbey House, Telford, under the terms of its STEPS PFI contract which runs to 2 April 2021. The Department has a rolling agreement with Land Registry to use part of their space at Parkside Court.
In November 2015, HMRC announced its plans to create a Regional Centre in Birmingham and a Specialist Site in Telford as part of its UK wide Building our Future Locations Programme. HMRC will use flexibility provisions within its occupancy agreements at both Abbey House and Parkside Court to align their closure with the opening of its new facilities. Specialist roles will remain in Telford with others moving to the new Regional Centre.
Asked by: Lucy Allan (Conservative - Telford)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, on what date the leases for HM Revenue and Customs offices Abbey House and Parkside Court will end.
Answered by David Gauke
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) occupies Abbey House, Telford, under the terms of its property outsourcing contract (STEPS) with Mapeley rather than under a traditional lease. The STEPS contract expires in April 2021, and includes flexibility for HMRC to vacate properties prior to 2021 as well as rights of occupation beyond this date.
HMRC occupies Parkside Court, Telford under the terms of an inter-departmental accommodation sharing arrangement with the Land Registry. The arrangement is due to expire on 4 January 2017 and includes rights of renewal for HMRC in line with the over-arching departmental estate strategy.