Extract from committee
stage (Lords) of the Non-Domestic Rating Bill
(CB):...One particular
injustice, perhaps the most trumpeted, is that of the small high
street retailers we have heard about, struggling to survive
against the onslaught of internet shopping. In ordinary business
terms, the free-market economy dictates the survival rate of
businesses, but in this case there is an important further
dimension—so much more important—which is the public interest
case for healthy high streets. They provide a social necessity to
our communities, a valuable asset in the social fabric. We know
the subject is complex. A number of high street retailers and
major supermarkets have
websites; some SMEs may rely on them. These and other good
reasons simply complicate the matter; they do not make it
impossible...
For context, OPEN HERE
Extracts from
Westminster Hall debate on Approved Mileage Allowance Payment
Rate
(Darlington) (Con):...It
would be remiss of me to not mention that, compared with others
in the region, many of my constituents face another issue when it
comes to the cost of motoring. Fuel prices at forecourts are
significantly higher at Morrisons, Asda and
Sainsbury’s branches in Darlington than they are at the exact
same supermarkets
in Bishop Auckland, so I ask the Minister to look at what more
can be done to ensure that my constituents get a fair deal. I
appreciate that it is not the specific topic of this debate, but
it highlights the postcode lottery of forecourt fuel competition
in this country...
Ms Anum Qaisar (Airdrie and Shotts) (SNP):...The hon. Member for
Waveney () made a crucial point when he
drew on the impact of the cost of living crisis. I would gently
go one step further, and argue that the impact of failing to
raise mileage rates speaks to a larger issue of the mismanagement
of the economy by this Government. There is a failure to
recognise the impact of their actions on constituents across the
four nations. Volatility in fuel prices now seems to be a regular
feature of our lives. The announcement today that fuel prices are
6p per litre higher than they should be due to weaker competition
between supermarkets is
only the latest example of that. The lack of action from the UK
Government has allowed supermarkets
to artificially increase prices, and that expense rise completely
offsets the 5p fuel allowance introduced last year...
For context, OPEN HERE
