Oaten Takes Business Rates Fight to Parliament

Local MP Mark Oaten has today taken the fight to halt rate increases on Winchester businesses to Parliament tabling Early Day Motion 1106 calling on the extension of transitional relief.

In the past week businesses throughout Winchester have been notified by mail of large increases to their business rates – in some cases doubled – which many fear they will just not be able to afford.

Mark, and his Liberal Democrat colleagues Liz Leffman, PPC for the Meon Valley, and Martin Tod, PPC for Winchester, are arguing that raising business charges in the middle of a recession is the worst thing Government could be doing.

Tabling Early Day Motion 1106 entitled ‘Business Rate Relief’ ahead of a Parliamentary debate today (Wednesday 25^th March) Mark is seeking to raise awareness of the issue and press Government on its badly timed rate increase.

The Motion calls on Government to bring measures forward to extend the transitional rate relief, which acts as a buffer to ensure businesses do not get hit with steep rate hikes from one year to the next, to provide some respite for businesses across Winchester facing extremely difficult times.

Mark Oaten commented:

“Tabling this EDM is a way to get the message out there about what these business rate increases are going to do to business. Local businesses throughout my constituency are staring at hugely increased bills and wondering just how they are going to afford it.

“This could be the final nail in the coffin for a lot of local businesses already struggling to keep their credit flow healthy. I’m convinced as a community Winchester is well placed to weather the recession but this certainly is not going to help.

The text of the EDM is:

EDM 1164 Business Rate Relief

That this House notes with concern that businesses across the country are being notified of steep increases to their business rates; understands that this is because the 2005-2009 business rate scheme is the first under which no transitional relief will be available during the last year of its cycle; recognises that many businesses will find any rate increases incredibly hard to afford; and calls on the Government to extent transitional business relief for two years to help small and medium sized enterprises weather the economic recession.