Ben Lake
Main Page: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion Preseli)Department Debates - View all Ben Lake's debates with the HM Treasury
(1 day, 9 hours ago)
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Dan Tomlinson
Yes, we will continue to work with pubs, because we do value them. I want to be clear, however, that we value all of the businesses on the high street. We value our hospitality businesses, our retail businesses and those that work in leisure and soft play, which I believe was mentioned earlier. All the different businesses that provide life and vibrancy on our high streets are important. I have set out the particular challenges of the rateable value methodology for pubs and the big challenges they have faced over the last 14 years, with 7,000 closing, but we want to make sure we continue to do all we can to support high streets in my hon. Friend’s constituency and across the country.
Ben Lake (Ceredigion Preseli) (PC)
Dozens of small businesses across Ceredigion and north Pembrokeshire will have listened to the Minister’s statement with interest. Could he please reassure me that the consequential funding that he has confirmed will go to Welsh Government will be determined and communicated in time—by 1 April—to allow the Welsh Government to allocate additional support to those small businesses?
Dan Tomlinson
I am sure that the consequentials and their implications will be set out as soon as is practically possible.