“Half-pint” business rates won’t save Taunton pubs

Gideon Amos MP has called for greater support for pubs, hotels and leisure venues in Taunton and Wellington after discussions with local businesses.

The Treasury has announced plans to support pubs and music venues by giving them a 15 per cent discount on their business rates from April.

But Gideon criticised the Government’s “half-pint” measures to support the hospitality sector and said that “great swathes” of the industry were still being ignored.

He told a Commons debate: "The change in business rates for pubs will be welcomed by pubs like the Winchester Arms in Trull in my constituency.

"But a family hotel contacted me yesterday and the combined impact of Government changes in the Budget will, they expect, as they look to the year ahead, lead to a £250,000 loss next year."

Gideon said afterwards: "From the Chancellor’s punishing jobs tax to this timid business rates relief package, the Labour Government’s half-pint measures are unsurprisingly not solving the crisis on the high street - they don't understand how important our small businesses are.

“I’m seeing community businesses in my constituency facing more and more challenges. Ministers should apologise to them for all the uncertainty they have caused.

“And great swathes of the hospitality sector are still being ignored.

“The Government must do the right thing and press ahead with the full 20% discount in business rates valuations that its initial regulations promised, to every retail, hospitality and leisure business, and back our Lib Dem plan for an emergency VAT cut for hospitality to save our high streets.”