Oral Answers to Questions

Stuart Anderson Excerpts

Tuesday 9th March 2021 Commons Chamber

[The Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury (Kemi Badenoch)]

The hon. Gentleman will know we are carrying out an alcohol duty review that will look at all these decisions in the round, and I am very happy to speak to him in more detail specifically about any particular schemes or requests that he has.

[Stuart Anderson (Wolverhampton South West) (Con) [V]]

If every working adult in Wolverhampton spent £5 a week extra with local businesses such as Mode Menswear and Tony’s Deli, it would boost the local economy by around £780,000 a week. What is the Chancellor doing to ensure that local independent shops and city centre businesses can bounce back from covid-19 in Wolverhampton?

[Kemi Badenoch]

The Government are supporting these businesses through new restart grants—a one-off cash grant of up to £6,000 per business premises for non-essential retailers in England—and up to £18,000 for hospitality and leisure businesses. They will also benefit from a five-month extension of the coronavirus job retention scheme, a further 12 months’ relief from business rates and a new UK-wide recovery loan scheme. Tony’s Deli, which my hon. Friend mentioned, and other businesses serving hot food can also enjoy a 12-month VAT cut at 5% until the end of September, and at 12.5% until the end of March.