Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: HM Treasury

Oral Answers to Questions

Steve Double Excerpts
Tuesday 15th September 2020

(4 years, 2 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Joy Morrissey Portrait Joy Morrissey (Beaconsfield) (Con)
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What assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the eat out to help out scheme in supporting the hospitality industry.

Steve Double Portrait Steve Double (St Austell and Newquay) (Con)
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What assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the eat out to help out scheme in supporting the hospitality industry.

Karl McCartney Portrait Karl MᶜCartney (Lincoln) (Con)
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What assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the eat out to help out scheme in supporting the hospitality industry.

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Jesse Norman Portrait Jesse Norman
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I am delighted that the eat out to help out scheme has been so enthusiastically taken up in Beaconsfield, as it has been around the country, and I thank my hon. Friend for her personal service in this important area. She will know that the Chancellor’s plan for jobs and support for over 150,000 businesses and the effort to protect 2.4 million jobs are all part of a package. To them, of course, as she will know, the Government have also added a reduced rate of VAT for tourist attractions, which will run through to 12 January next year. It all fits together as part of a wider picture of support for these very important sectors of the economy.

Steve Double Portrait Steve Double
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In St Austell and Newquay, almost 250,000 meals were eaten—not all by me—as part of the eat out to help out scheme, which put around £1.3 million into our local economy, so on behalf of businesses in mid-Cornwall, I thank the Chancellor for his support. August has been incredibly busy in Cornwall, but the hospitality sector faces a big challenge as we head into winter. Will my right hon. Friend consider a similar scheme to be run in the winter to help as many businesses as possible survive the winter and be here next summer?

Jesse Norman Portrait Jesse Norman
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There is a danger of a bidding contest between colleagues over the number of meals eaten under the eat out to help out scheme. I would dissuade them from that. In answer to my hon. Friend’s question, however, I would say that there is this wider package. Of course the Treasury keeps all its measures under review, but it is a pretty formidable combination of VAT reductions, business rates relief and billions in tax deferrals and loans.