Oral Answers to Questions

James Murray Excerpts

Tuesday 3rd November 2026 Commons Chamber

[Matt Turmaine (Watford) (Lab)]

23. What fiscal steps he is taking to support high streets and town centres.

[The Financial Secretary to the Treasury and Paymaster General (James Murray)]

At the Budget, we announced a two-year real-terms freeze to business rates bills for all retail, hospitality and leisure properties in England; cut bills by an extra 20% for pubs and all but the largest live music venues; and removed 70,000 smaller properties from business rates altogether. Taken together, these measures show how the Government are backing our high streets: all retail, hospitality and leisure properties in England are seeing their business rates frozen in real terms, reduced, or cut to zero.

[Jas Athwal]

My constituents and I welcome the Budget measures to support small businesses in Ilford South, including the business rates freeze for retail, hospitality and leisure properties, which will benefit more than a thousand businesses across my constituency. Will the Chancellor outline what further fiscal steps the Government are taking to support high street businesses, such as those in my constituency, to encourage investment and ensure that our town centres remain vibrant, thriving places for generations to come?

[James Murray]

I am very glad to hear that more than a thousand retail, hospitality and leisure properties in Redbridge may benefit from a real-terms freeze in their business rates bills, giving them real breathing space over the next two years. We are also helping high street businesses through our new high streets strategy, which was published at the Budget, providing £210 million to transform derelict buildings into the new anchors of our high streets across the country.

[Dan Aldridge]

The changes to business rates announced in last week’s Budget will provide some much-needed breathing space for many businesses in Weston-super-Mare, Worle and the villages. However, thriving high streets and coastal communities such as mine depend on businesses being able to take on new staff, particularly local young people. At a roundtable I held with small businesses last week, the cost and difficulty of employing young people were raised repeatedly as a major concern. What more can the Treasury do to ease those financial pressures, and will the Minister provide more information about the new high streets strategy and how the Treasury will ensure that vision is matched with funding?

[James Murray]

The Government want to support businesses in Weston-super-Mare and across the country to take on young people in particular, which is why our youth jobs grant offers businesses £3,000 for every young person they hire aged 18 to 24 who has been on universal credit and looking for work for six months. Businesses also benefit from targeted employer national insurance contribution reliefs for young people, meaning that employers pay no employer NICs on earnings up to just over £50,000 for employees up to the age of 21 and for apprentices under 25—a saving of nearly £7,000 per eligible employee per year.

[Matt Turmaine]

I thank my right hon. Friend for his answer. I welcome last week’s Budget and its efforts to create breathing space for people and businesses—[Interruption.] It does indeed. Watford has a popular high street. I have met local business owners post Budget, and they are keen to see the Government cut red tape and stimulate growth. Will my right hon. Friend outline some of the specific measures the Government are taking to help our high streets?

[James Murray]

As my hon. Friend points out, the Government are working to reduce red tape for businesses in Watford and right across the country by making progress towards our target of cutting the annual admin burden of regulation for businesses by 25% by the end of this Parliament. As I have mentioned, we published our high streets strategy at the Budget, which is backed by £210 million of new funding that will bring vacant and derelict properties back into use, support the growth of co-ops and mutuals and help more communities to take ownership of valued local assets.

[Patrick Spencer (Central Suffolk and North Ipswich) (Con)]

I recently received an email from a publican in my constituency, who said:

“I cannot find people willing to work minimum wage because they earn more on benefits, I cannot give my experienced staff a pay rise because minimum wage increases eat into my budget, and often people will turn up for interviews only to demonstrate that they are ‘looking for work’ at the Jobcentre before bunking off on their first day.”

Can the Minister explain why he has used the Budget to compound the problems of an unaffordable minimum wage and an out-of-control welfare system?

[James Murray]

It is important that people get paid for the work that they do in a fair way. It is also important that we support our pubs, which are much loved in communities across the country. That is why one of the first announcements that the Prime Minister made when he came into office in July was an extra 20% cut in business rates bills for pubs and live music venues. That was confirmed at the Budget and will be implemented from next year. It will help pubs across our country to thrive, including those in the hon. Gentleman’s constituency.

[Rachel Gilmour (Tiverton and Minehead) (LD)]

While the Budget provides some welcome support for high streets, so many businesses in Tiverton and Minehead tell me that excessive costs, regulation and red tape remain a drag on growth. Does the Minister agree that lasting economic growth will require not just short-term support but fundamental reform of business rates and tax administration so that businesses can invest, expand and create jobs with confidence?

[James Murray]

I agree with some of the principles behind the hon. Lady’s comments. In addition to the breathing space that the Budget delivered, we are beginning work to help businesses and the economy to grow in the long run. She mentioned the importance of us cutting red tape and bureaucracy. Indeed, as I mentioned just a moment ago, we are cutting the regulatory admin burden on businesses by 25% by the end of this Parliament, which is critical to taking some of the pressures off businesses to allow them to invest, grow and succeed in their local communities.

[Alison Griffiths (Bognor Regis and Littlehampton) (Con)]

At my business club in my constituency last week—before the Budget—businesses on the high street, including ones that will be well known to the Minister, told me about their concerns. They have not been assuaged by this Budget. What will the Government do to reduce the tax burdens on the hospitality and tourism industry, and when will that happen?

[James Murray]

April 2027, as we announced at the Budget. As I set out in my earlier responses, to help businesses on high streets across the country we are making sure that all retail, hospitality and leisure properties in England get a real-terms two-year freeze in their business rates bills or see them reduced or cut to zero.

[Mr Speaker]

I call the shadow Minister.

[Gareth Davies (Grantham and Bourne) (Con)]

I have been sitting here listening to the Minister give some sort of victory lap on business rates. It is like the Government have broken the high street’s leg, given it a crutch and are now asking for a thank you. The British Retail Consortium called the Chancellor’s business rates package a “smoke and mirrors announcement”. I call it a missed opportunity to fix their cut in business rates relief from 75% to 40%. Why does he not just back the Conservatives’ plan to abolish business rates for 250,000 businesses on high streets across our country?

[James Murray]

The hon. Gentleman talks about missed opportunities. When the Conservatives were in government they missed the opportunity for 14 years to support high streets properly. This Government are giving real support to businesses on high streets across the country from April next year, starting with the 20% saving for pubs that the Prime Minister announced in July. Added to that, we are taking 70,000 small RHL businesses out of paying business rates altogether and giving a real-terms two-year freeze to all other RHL businesses in England. That is real help for businesses, helping them to succeed.

[Bambos Charalambous (Southgate and Wood Green) (Lab)]

11. What estimate he has made of the number of child trust funds received by intended beneficiaries.

--- Later in debate ---

[Jim Dickson (Dartford) (Lab)]

T6. Small businesses in Dartford that I spoke to immediately after the Budget, including Thaiger Thai, Ali’s Cafe and Albion’s Bakery, all hugely welcomed the measure to change the threshold for payment of business rates to £18,000. That will cut their costs and those of many other businesses across the constituency. What other measures can they and other high street businesses expect going forward to boost their growth and supplement our high streets?

[The Financial Secretary to the Treasury and Paymaster General (James Murray)]

I am glad that our business rates changes will benefit businesses in my hon. Friend’s constituency, as part of our measures to take 70,000 small retail, hospitality and leisure businesses in England out of paying business rates altogether, as well as a 20% cut for pubs and the real-terms freeze for all RHL businesses across the country.

[John Glen (Salisbury) (Con)]

This morning at the Treasury Committee, I was taken aback by how ferocious Helen Miller from the Institute for Fiscal Studies was in decrying the Government’s founders’ relief. She suggested that it could lead to cliff-edges and contrived business redefinitions. Could one of the Ministers explain how founders’ relief will encourage investment and innovation, because there is enormous scepticism out there among the community of entrepreneurs that it will have a positive effect?

[James Murray]

I fundamentally disagree with the right hon. Gentleman because entrepreneurs who I have spoken to welcome the founders’ relief that we introduced at the Budget last year to back some of the founders—some of those behind our fastest-growing businesses, creating wealth, jobs and opportunity in our country.

[Ian Byrne (Liverpool West Derby) (Lab)]

T8. The Chancellor rightly said last Wednesday that homelessness is a political choice. Does my right hon. Friend agree that hunger is a political choice as well? Earlier this month the Right to Food UK Commission published its final report, fully costed by Lord Prem Sikka, setting out credible reform to end food insecurity by 2035. Will my right hon. Friend meet me to discuss its recommendations?

--- Later in debate ---

[Laura Kyrke-Smith (Aylesbury) (Lab)]

T9. Whether it is pubs like the Rockwood and Craftyard, cafés like Darlington’s or restaurants like Kuzzu, small businesses are the backbone of our economy in Aylesbury and the villages and the heart of our community. For many years it has been tough for them, but we are starting to turn a corner. Will the Minister set out how last week’s Budget will help our brilliant local businesses to invest, create jobs and grow?

[James Murray]

We want to support our brilliant local businesses to succeed, and I hope that the Rockwood, Craftyard, Darlington’s and Kuzzu will benefit from some of our Budget measures, since all retail, hospitality and leisure properties in England will see their business rates frozen in real terms for two years, reduced or cut to zero.

[Greg Smith (Mid Buckinghamshire) (Con)]

New financial modelling on the Government’s proposals for an asylum camp at MOD Bicester site A, which affects many of my villages, shows that the per night, per person cost is two-and-a-half times that of the equivalent hotels. If it is cost control the Chancellor is after, surely he will tell the Home Secretary not to proceed with that plan.

[Johanna Baxter (Paisley and Renfrewshire South) (Lab)]

One way to achieve growth in postcode PA1 is to revitalise our high street, and the best way to do that is to back the redevelopment of the Paisley centre, which lies at the heart of it. This is a shovel-ready project that received planning permission nearly four years ago and has the potential to bring 330 jobs to our community. The previous Chancellor promised me she would help. Will my right hon. Friend agree to meet me to see how we can get this project moving?

[James Murray]

I or a colleague of mine would be happy to meet my hon. Friend to discuss that much-needed investment in her constituency. More widely, we would urge the Scottish Government to replicate in Scotland the business rates changes that we have announced for retail, hospitality and leisure businesses in England.

[Dr Ellie Chowns (North Herefordshire) (Green)]

Last week’s Budget papers assume that significant tax revenues will be generated by new drilling at the Rosebank oil field. Although I understand it is common practice to rely on these sorts of projections, are the Government not worried that this signals that they have already made a decision on Rosebank and are prioritising short-term gains over protecting us all from the medium and long-term catastrophic economic damage associated with climate breakdown and burning new oil and gas?

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[Llinos Medi (Ynys Môn) (PC)]

Around 5,000 people in my constituency work in the hospitality sector, which is a vital part of the Welsh economy. While hospitality businesses across much of the European Union benefit from reduced VAT rates, our pubs, hotels and restaurants are stuck paying 20%. Why did the Chancellor decide not to prioritise that sector in last week’s Budget?

[James Murray]

I question whether the hon. Lady was listening to the Budget if she thinks we were not prioritising hospitality, given that retail, hospitality and leisure businesses received real help on their business rates in England. I would urge the Welsh Government to follow suit.

[Sureena Brackenridge (Wolverhampton North East) (Lab)]

The green innovation corridor in my constituency has investment zone status and £27 million in capital funding, with £7 million earmarked to prepare sites for development. What further Treasury support, including access to finance and targeted tax incentives, will the Government provide to attract private investors and deliver more skilled jobs in Wolverhampton North East?

--- Later in debate ---

[James Murray]

I thank my hon. Friend for mentioning the Village Green Cafe, which I know will be valuable to the local community in Eyam. In addition to the business rates support that we have spoken about, the new Hope on the High Street strategy sets out the Government’s plan to revive our high streets. It includes taking a “high streets first” approach that will bring more public services and civic activity into town centres, driving footfall to support those local businesses.

[Sarah Olney (Richmond Park) (LD)]

The Treasury Committee’s recent report on student loan repayments said that the Government have a “moral obligation” to reverse their decision to freeze the threshold at which student loans are repaid. Will the Chancellor set out his timeline for when he will end the repayment threshold freeze?

--- Later in debate ---

[Dr Kieran Mullan (Bexhill and Battle) (Con)]

The community amateur sports clubs scheme supports thousands of not-for-profit sports clubs across the country, including Highwoods golf club in Bexhill, in my constituency, but the threshold for participation has not been lifted since 2015. I have had the pleasure of sparring with the Paymaster General on both “Question Time” and “Any Questions?”. Will he make it a hat trick and agree to meet me to discuss this?

[James Murray]

The hon. Gentleman has just made it a hat trick by asking a question today, but I am happy to pick that matter up with him outside the Chamber.