This is a Government who are determined to help goo [3D [K good councils and businesses to breathe new life into our high streets and [K town centres. In April we introduced a permanent reduced tax rate worth alm [3D [K almost £1 billion for high street businesses, and in July, in the new Prime [5D [K Prime Minister's first week, he and I announced a further 20% cut for pubs, [5D [K pubs, social clubs and music venues. This is a Government who will do what [K they can to help bring a bit of breathing space from the cost of living and [3D [K and the costs of business.

My hon. Friend speaks up very strongly for his loca [4D [K local area. He is right about the importance of pubs, social clubs and live [4D [K live venues, and about the importance of the 20% cut that we announced in J [1D [K July. These are the things that make the places where we live the places th [2D [K that we also love. Later this year the Government will produce our high str [3D [K street strategy, and I encourage my hon. Friend to contribute to the work o [1D [K of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and [3D [K and Local Government in that regard. I agree with what my right hon. Friend [6D [K Friend the Financial Secretary said a few moments ago: he should see the mo [2D [K move that we made in July as a down payment on further reform.

What an extraordinary claim! It is hard to take ser [3D [K seriously the idea that somehow the Conservatives will save our high street [6D [K streets. We are, of course, concerned about the impact of business taxation [8D [K taxation. As a Government, we have put in £4.3 billion to help cushion the [K changes, including in the right hon. Gentleman's area. We are in the proces [6D [K process of taking further steps to review and reform the business rates sys [3D [K system, and I will be able to set out more details at the Budget.

The Prime Minister and I have been clear that we must cut the costs of welfare. On levels of taxation, we had a period of Conservative Government, with low growth and high debt. They crashed the economy with the mini-Budget, and we had levels of taxation that were putting pressure on business, adding to the cost of living. What people have seen under this Government is a willingness to recognise those pressures and to do what we can—not to remove them, but to provide relief where we can. It is about giving people and families a bit of breathing space from the cost of living, and giving businesses a bit of breathing space from the costs of business. That is why the move that the Prime Minister and I made in July for pubs, social clubs and live venues was so welcomed.