Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Support for SMEs

Tuesday 17 May 2022 · 2 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 1 Partly answered 1 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Ministerial Department is taking steps to support SMEs by cutting employment taxes and extending the annual investment allowance limit.
  • Treasury is consulting on simplifying alcohol duty to make it simpler and fairer for the sector.
  • Government is considering a relief for draught beer and small producer relief for craft cider makers.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Philip Dunne Con
Economy Business & Trade
Context

The question is prompted by a need to address the financial challenges faced by SMEs in the UK.

Question

What fiscal steps his Department is taking to support small and medium-size enterprises?

Answer from Helen Whately

Small and medium-sized businesses are at the heart of our economy, creating jobs and prosperity across the UK. Last week, we wrote to more than 2 million businesses setting out our support to them, including a £1,000 cut to employment taxes, extending the annual investment allowance limit, reducing business rates and cutting fuel duty by 5p.

Answered
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Q2 Philip Dunne Con
Taxation
Context

The question is prompted by the Treasury's consultation on simplifying alcohol duty, which impacts SMEs in sectors such as off-licences and wine shops.

Question

In considering responses to the Treasury's consultation on simplifying alcohol duty, will my hon. Friend consider a model that broadly relates duty to alcohol strength but without creating massive complexity and cost for the UK's thousands of off licences and wine shops, including important small and medium-sized enterprises in Shropshire, which create jobs, supporting both the wine import and brewing sectors?

Answer from Helen Whately

As my right hon. Friend knows, we have set out our plans to make alcohol duty simpler and fairer—a change that is long overdue. That includes a new relief for draught beer, small producer relief for craft cider makers and the end of the higher rate for sparkling wine. I am listening to the sector and I have visited businesses to hear for myself, to make sure that the reforms work in practice.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific model based on alcohol strength was not addressed in detail.

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