Nick de Bois
Main Page: Nick de Bois (Conservative - Enfield North)
Brandon Lewis
I remind the hon. Gentleman that the 10% most deprived authorities have an average spending power of £3,026 whereas the figure for the least deprived 10% is only £1,952. That demonstrates clearly that the areas with the need actually have the money they need to look after their local requirements.
Nick de Bois (Enfield North) (Con)
4. What steps he is taking to help shops in England and Enfield with their business rate bills.
Stephen Metcalfe (South Basildon and East Thurrock) (Con)
10. What steps he is taking to help shops in England and South Basildon and East Thurrock with their business rate bills.
The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (Mr Eric Pickles)
We are providing a £1 billion business rates support package. This includes a £1,000 discount for smaller shops, pubs and restaurants, and a 50% discount for businesses taking on long-term empty shops. It also doubles small business rate relief for another year, helping more than 500,000 small businesses.
Nick de Bois
I very much welcome the Government’s attempts to ease the plight of those shopkeepers and high street businesses, but does the Secretary of State share my disappointment that rather than promote the availability of this scheme when sending out business rate bills, Enfield’s Labour council felt it wise to spend its time issuing press releases, trying to claim credit for the Government’s very welcome policy?
Mr Pickles
I suppose that is a kind of halfway house, which is a bit of shame because about 2,000 businesses in Enfield should benefit from the scheme. Clearly, if those businesses are not aware of the possibility and do not apply, they are shelling out money unnecessarily, and the people who will suffer will be the people of Enfield.