Oral Answers to Questions

Rachael Maskell Excerpts
Tuesday 12th December 2017

(7 years ago)

Commons Chamber
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Greg Clark Portrait Greg Clark
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I do indeed. One of the features of our industrial strategy, which takes an approach that previous business policies have not taken sufficient account of over many decades, is the importance of the skills and clusters of industries in local places. As my hon. Friend knows, that is very much at the heart of the industrial strategy that we have published.

Rachael Maskell Portrait Rachael Maskell (York Central) (Lab/Co-op)
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On 8 March, the Chancellor announced a full review of business rates. On 14 March, the Minister responsible for small business said:

“The review will report in due course and in the not-too-distant future.”—[Official Report, 14 March 2017; Vol. 623, c. 178.]

Yet the industrial strategy barely mentions business rates, which are having a massive impact on businesses in York. When will this review start?

Margot James Portrait Margot James
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The Chancellor has announced considerable business rate relief for small businesses, including making small business rate relief permanent, retrospective redress for SMEs caught by the staircase tax ruling, and more besides.