Agricultural Property Relief and Business Property Relief Debate
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John Whitby
Main Page: John Whitby (Labour - Derbyshire Dales)Department Debates - View all John Whitby's debates with the HM Treasury
Agricultural Property Relief and Business Property Relief
John Whitby Excerpts(3 days, 20 hours ago)
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Dan Tomlinson
Earlier in the year, Members asked us about making these changes, and we have come forward with a revised proposal that includes a higher threshold. That is the right thing to do; it shows that we have listened to representations from the farming and business communities, as my hon. Friend the Member for Sheffield South East (Mr Betts) mentioned. The Batters report, which was published on 18 December, made a number of recommendations. We will take forward many of those proposals to ensure that we support increased profitability for farmers and continue to work on important sustainability initiatives.
John Whitby (Derbyshire Dales) (Lab)
I was grateful for the opportunity to meet the Chancellor recently to highlight the impact that the changes to APR and BPR would have had on farmers in Derbyshire Dales. I therefore sincerely thank the Minister and the Chancellor for listening to me and other members of the Labour rural research group, and raising the tax-free allowance. Since the change was announced, more than 100 farmers have written to me to say how pleased they are about it. One farmer said:
“This has been hanging over me all year, making me ill, and I can’t believe the relief I’m feeling right now.”
Will the Minister or the Chancellor take the opportunity to visit a farm in Derbyshire Dales to see for themselves the positive difference that this change has made?
Dan Tomlinson
I thank my hon. Friend for his invitation. I will pass it on to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, and will carefully consider it myself.