Question
Small and medium-sized family businesses in the retail sector create jobs on our high streets and keep money circulating locally. In my constituency, these businesses include Pembertons sewing machines, the Radio Music Store in Bannockburn, Michael More the butcher in Cambusbarron and countless others. I welcome the Chancellor’s Budget support for high streets in England, including the two-year, real-terms business rates freeze. Does the Minister agree that Scottish businesses deserve the same, that the SNP should match this freeze in its Scottish Budget and that failure to do so would mean thousands of Scottish businesses missing out on much-needed relief?
Answer
As my hon. Friend says, the Chancellor last week froze business rates in real terms for high street businesses, and has taken 70,000 small businesses on the high street in England out of paying business rates altogether. We have given the devolved Government in Scotland the Barnett consequentials for that, and I urge them to follow our lead.
Verdict: AMBER (44/100)
The reply clearly confirms that the UK Government has provided Scotland with the Barnett consequentials for the business rates freeze and urges the Scottish Government to follow England's lead, so the question of whether Scotland should match the measure is answered directly. It only implies, rather than states, that Scottish businesses should receive the same relief, and its 70,000-business figure refers to England alone. It does not address what would happen to Scottish businesses if the freeze is not matched, so that part of the question remains unanswered and the asker would likely need to follow up.
How we got there
| Question item | Coverage | Specificity | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| Does the Minister agree that Scottish businesses deserve the same two-year, real-terms business rates freeze that the Chancellor has announced for high streets in England? | Partially Addressed | Direct | The reply restates the Chancellor's real-terms freeze for English high streets and urges Scotland to follow, which implies Scottish businesses should get the same relief. However, it never explicitly says Scottish businesses deserve the same freeze, and the 70,000-business statistic concerns England only. |
| Does the Minister agree that the Scottish Government should match the business rates freeze in its Scottish Budget? | Addressed | Direct | The minister states the UK Government has provided the Scottish Government with the Barnett consequentials for this measure and explicitly urges the devolved Government to follow the UK's lead, which directly answers whether Scotland should match the freeze. |
| Does the Minister agree that failure to match the freeze would mean thousands of Scottish businesses missing out on much-needed relief? | Not Addressed | Generic | Nothing in the reply addresses the consequence for Scottish businesses of failing to match the freeze; the 70,000-business figure refers to English high-street businesses and does not answer this. |