Nick de Bois
Main Page: Nick de Bois (Conservative - Enfield North)
Grant Shapps
I agree absolutely that tenants deserve protection and that regulations are, of course, required. However, perhaps the hon. Lady would like to reflect on the fact that we have been in government for two months whereas her party were in government for 13 years. There must be a good reason why the previous Government did not regulate the industry further in that time, and there is: many different powers are available to local authorities to ensure that they look after residents. Those powers now include HMO-ing, and we will ensure that they apply in areas where local authorities want them, but we no longer need the bureaucracy of their applying nationwide.
Nick de Bois (Enfield North) (Con)
4. What steps he is taking to assist small businesses with payment of business rate bills.
Dan Byles (North Warwickshire) (Con)
12. What steps he is taking to assist small businesses with payment of business rate bills.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (Robert Neill)
We are doubling the level of small business rate relief in England for one year, from 1 October 2010. More than 500,000 businesses in England are expected to benefit, with approximately 345,000 businesses paying no rates. That will be a valuable reduction in fixed costs for new and existing small businesses.
Nick de Bois
In Enfield North, we have been campaigning hard to bring in new businesses and start-ups and to encourage people to relocate to the area. What practical steps will the Under-Secretary take to allow my local authority to get behind that campaign?