Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what financial support will be provided to Business Improvement Districts facing a reduction in income caused by businesses not paying business rates during the covid-19 outbreak.

We have announced a substantial package of support to businesses, and we are exploring other ways we can support them.

At present, businesses within a Business Improvement District (BID) will still need to pay into their BID to ensure the BID body can still provide vital support to their local business communities.

We know that a number of BIDs are currently in the process of issuing their bills to members, and we would hope that they can come to sensible arrangements on charging given the current circumstances.

The Coronavirus Act also includes new measures to support BIDs: we have introduced a delay to BID ballots due to take place between now and 31 December 2020 until March 2021. This will ensure that they are conducted in a safe and effective way.