I was fortunate to have two opportunities to ask questions in the Commons today. At Questions for Business, Innovation and Skills, I was able again to highlight the Essex Council Apprenticeship scheme as an example of best practice for the rest of the country. This was recognised by Business Secretary Vince Cable who set out the Government plan for Apprenticeships. You can read the full exchange here: (http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm/cmtoday/cmdebate/01.htm)
Later I was able to intervene during questions on Parliamentary Business. As you can see from the exchanges below my question concerned business rates. To incentivise local regeneration, it is vital that local business rates are spent locally and not salted away by the Treasury. My question to the Leader of the House of Commons yielded hints of a positive outcome:
Robert Halfon (Harlow) (Con): Will the Leader of the House find time for a debate to follow up the important issue of business rates and major regeneration schemes? In the Gracious Speech, we saw our first glimpse of the excellent Bill for decentralisation and localism, which promises to give local communities a real share in local growth. In my constituency of Harlow, the regeneration of the town centre would be hugely supported if a greater share of the new business rates could be kept in the local community.
Sir George Young: My hon. Friend makes a forceful point. There will be CLG questions a week today, when he will be able to press the Ministers on that, but I agree that it is important that those who pay business rates should have access to the relief that they are entitled to automatically, and that there should be opportunities to recycle the business rates within the local community.
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