Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps the Government is taking to support independent jewellers in Southport constituency.

Independent jewellers in Southport and across the country have benefited from the extension of Retail, Hospitality and Leisure relief for 2024-25, a tax cut worth nearly £2.4 billion and a freeze to the small business multiplier for a fourth consecutive year, protecting over a million ratepayers from bill increases.

Government provided an unprecedented package of support for businesses with energy costs through the Energy Bill Relief Scheme and the Energy Bill Discount Scheme. Together these schemes have provided around £7.5 billion to businesses for energy costs.

The industry led Retail Sector Council is developing a strategic approach for retail and continues to invite views on the opportunities and challenges for business set out in the recently published discussion paper Retail: The Great Enabler.