Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

High Street Businesses

Thursday 13 March 2025 · 5 questions

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

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 3 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Dr Rupa Huq raised the case of the Patels, victims of the Horizon scandal, seeking compensation as postmasters.
  • Bradley Thomas questioned the Government about a 42,000 annual increase in business rates and national insurance for the Queens Head pub in Bromsgrove.
  • Sally Jameson invited the Minister to Doncaster to discuss support for the hospitality industry and high street vitality.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Rupa Huq Lab Ealing Central and Acton
Taxation Business Compliance Local Government
Context

The question follows concerns about the impact of business rates on high street businesses. The case of a local newsagent in Ealing, operated by the Patels who faced significant business rate demands.

Question

From 5 am to 10 pm daily, the Patels’ newsagent, off licence and post office was an Acton staple—until Horizon slapped it with a £123,000 demand, and Mrs Patel had a series of mini-strokes. Will Ministers look into the fact that their compensation was rejected because Mr Patel was the postmaster, and show their love for high-street heroes everywhere by attending a tea organised by the all-party parliamentary group for ethnic minority business owners on 3 April? You are welcome too, Mr Speaker.

Answer from The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business and Trade (Gareth Thomas)

I am grateful for my hon. Friend for raising the case of the Patels. I am keen that any sub-postmaster who was a victim of the Horizon scandal gets access to the compensation they rightly deserve as quickly as possible. She will understand that I cannot comment on individual cases, but if she wants to write to me about the specific case, I would be happy to look into it further and to discuss it with her.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not confirm attendance at tea event for ethnic minority business owners.

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Q2 Bradley Thomas Con Bromsgrove
Economy Business & Trade
Context

The question addresses concerns about the impact of business rates and national insurance contributions on local pubs in Bromsgrove.

Question

There are over 70 pubs across Bromsgrove and the villages. One of them—the Queens Head—faces a staggering £42,000 annual increase in the cost of business rates and national insurance contributions as a result of choices made by this Government. That is on top of increasing concerns around a banter ban. Will the Minister confirm that nobody will be ejected from a pub or hospitality venue for sharing a joke, and will he outline what steps he is taking to support pubs, rather than putting them out of business?

Answer from The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business and Trade (Gareth Thomas)

I note in passing that 10,000 pubs closed their doors under the Conservative Government, so I do not think the pub industry is looking to the hon. Gentleman’s party for guidance going forward. On the specifics he asked about, he will be aware of our plan for business rates reform, which will help and make a significant difference to many pubs. On the so-called “banter ban”, I gently suggest that he should not believe everything that he reads in the newspapers.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not confirm no one would be ejected for sharing jokes.

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Q3 Sally Jameson Labour (Co-op) Doncaster Central
Crime & Law Enforcement Business & Trade
Context

The question highlights the importance of pubs and restaurants in Doncaster's nightlife economy.

Question

Pubs and restaurants are part of a thriving high street in Doncaster that is known for its iconic nightlife. Will the Minister set out what action the Department is taking to support hospitality and ensure that high streets continue to thrive, and may I invite him to Doncaster to see how nightlife is done properly?

Answer from The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business and Trade (Gareth Thomas)

I will give careful consideration to my hon. Friend’s very generous offer. In answer to the hon. Member for Bromsgrove (Bradley Thomas) I mentioned business rates reform, which could make a significant difference for many businesses in the night-time economy. Another crucial issue that we want to tackle is the rising crime and antisocial behaviour on our high streets. As she will know, the Crime and Policing Bill, which is beginning its journey through Parliament, will make a significant difference in that regard.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not confirm visit to Doncaster.

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Q4 Roger Gale Con Herne Bay and Sandwich
Taxation Employment
Context

The question addresses the impact of increased national insurance contributions on John Lewis Partnership, a successful high street business.

Question

The high street trader John Lewis Partnership is announcing its annual results today. It is a highly successful business but this year it will not be paying a dividend to its partners, the workforce, because it has to absorb national insurance costs. Does the Minister understand the real impact that NI contributions are having on what his party likes to describe as “ordinary working people”?

Answer from The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business and Trade (Gareth Thomas)

I say gently to the right hon. Gentleman and his Conservative colleagues that we had to take the difficult decisions in the Budget to increase employer national insurance contributions because of the mess that their party left the country in. The shadow Secretary of State for Business and Trade, the hon. Member for Arundel and South Downs (Andrew Griffith), helped to write the Liz Truss Budget that did so much damage to our country—we are trying to sort out the mess. The shadow Secretary of State still has not apologised for his part in that fiasco. He should take the opportunity to do so during these questions.

Not addressed: Did not acknowledge the impact on ordinary workers, instead criticizing the Conservative party and their previous budget decisions.

How: Redirecting Blame, Avoiding Direct Question

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Q5 Greg Smith Con Mid Buckinghamshire
Policing & Resources Economy Business & Trade
Context

The question presents real-world testimony from a local business owner about the impact of increased staff costs due to changes in April.

Question

Yesterday, the owner of the hugely popular Rumsey’s, which is celebrating 21 years on Wendover high street in my constituency, emailed me to say: ‘We estimate the changes coming in April will add 15% to our staff costs that we simply don’t have. Therefore we have had to sadly make redundancies, put in a recruitment freeze and implement staff hour cuts to offset this.’ With real-world testimony like that replicated up and down the country, will the Minister finally acknowledge that an urgent change of course is needed to support high streets, scrap the employer NI rise, save jobs and protect communities?

Answer from The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business and Trade (Gareth Thomas)

Had the hon. Gentleman’s party been elected, retail, hospitality and leisure relief would have come to an end. We have extended retail, hospitality and leisure relief. We have set out in the Budget our plans to permanently lower tax rates for retail, hospitality and leisure properties on the high street from 2026-27. We are taking measures to tackle crime and antisocial behaviour on the high street, which his party could have done more to tackle but chose not to. We are bringing in new legislation to end the immunity for crime on the high street where shoplifters steal goods worth £200 or less, and we are creating a specific offence of violence against retail workers to try to make it easier for businesses operating on the high street.

Not addressed: Did not acknowledge the need for urgent changes in business rates and national insurance contributions.

How: Redirecting Blame, Avoiding Direct Question

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