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To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment has been made of the potential impact of court closures on access to justice in rural areas.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment has been made of the potential impact of court closures on access to justice in rural areas.
We are committed to ensuring access to justice for all court users, including those in rural communities. There are currently no plans to permanently close any courts. Any future proposals would be subject to full public consultation and will consider all potential impacts on access to justice, including for rural court users.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the impact of rural pub closures on community cohesion and local economies in constituencies such as North East Hampshire.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the impact of rural pub closures on community cohesion and local economies in constituencies such as North East Hampshire.
The Government recognises that rural pubs can play an important role as community hubs, supporting local economies and social interaction. Through business rates support and initiatives such as Pub is the Hub, we are helping communities retain valued local assets and sustain economic activity. We are reforming business rates to better support the high street, with over 750,000 properties benefitting from permanently lower rates worth nearly £1 billion annually. From April, pubs have benefitted from an additional 15% cut followed by a two-year freeze worth around £1,650 and we have increased and extended the Hospitality Support Fund to £10 million over the next three years so we can continue to help more pubs, help more people into work and find more innovate ways to improve business productivity and sustainability.
We are also working closely with industry through the Hospitality Sector Council, to ensure pubs can remain viable and continue contributing to social cohesion in rural areas.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of bank branch closures on (a) town centres and (b) rural communities.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of bank branch closures on (a) town centres and (b) rural communities.
The Government is aware of the public’s concerns around access to banking services, which are currently not protected in legislation. Whilst there is evidence on a local level of individuals being affected by the closure of bank branches, the Government needs robust evidence from across the UK.
The Government therefore commissioned an independent Review into Access to Banking Services. The Review will identify who is affected by changes to access to in-person banking services and how many people are affected. It will also look at what kinds of banking services are important for people to be able to access, including in town centres and rural communities.
HM Treasury launched the Access to Banking Services Review on 8 June, with the publication of the Call for Evidence. The Call for Evidence will run for six weeks and will close on 20 July. The evidence gathered will inform the development of the Review’s recommendations, and the Chair, Richard Lloyd OBE, is due to publish his findings in October. More information can be found here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/calls-for-evidence/access-to-banking-services-review-call-for-evidence.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate her Department has made of the number of rural pubs that have permanently closed in each month since July 2024.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate her Department has made of the number of rural pubs that have permanently closed in each month since July 2024.
ONS data shows there were over 600 more hospitality businesses in 2025 than in 2024. We continue to closely monitor the health of different sectors across the UK economy, including pubs and hospitality, and regularly engage with these sectors – including on the High Street Strategy which will be published later this year.
This Government has demonstrated its support to the hospitality sector. We have also already started the work of reforming our business rates system by introducing new permanently lower multipliers for eligible retail, hospitality and leisure properties. These new multipliers are worth nearly £1 billion per year and benefit over 750,000 properties.
We have extended opening hours for Home Nations games in England and Wales for the Men’s Football World Cup and backing “pavement pints” with a commitment to make it easier for hospitality businesses to serve food and drink outside by cutting unnecessary bureaucracy.
In addition, the Government has also doubled the Hospitality Support Fund to £10 million which will help rural pubs to diversify and ensure they can continue to be vital community hubs. We have also ended upward-only rent review clauses and new Community Right to Buy legislation will strengthen powers for local people to buy assets like hospitality venues and pubs before they are lost – keeping them in the hands of the community.
On top of this, we have temporarily reduced rate of VAT over the summer holidays on family attractions as well as children’s meals and tickets to the theatre and cinema. This will provide a much-needed boost for families and drive more footfall towards pubs and hospitality businesses where children’s meals will also benefit from the discount.
Motion that this House has considered the matter of fiscal support for rural pubs. Agreed to on question.
Motion that this House has considered the matter of fiscal support for rural pubs. Agreed to on question.
I beg to move,
That this House has considered the matter of fiscal support for rural pubs.
It is a pleasure to lead this debate on fiscal support for our country’s great rural pubs. Although this debate is about fiscal support, it is really about our heritage. To demonstrate that, I would...
I beg to move,
That this House has considered the matter of fiscal support for rural pubs.
It is a pleasure to lead this debate on fiscal support for our country’s great rural pubs. Although this debate is about fiscal support, it is really about our heritage. To demonstrate that, I would...
I congratulate the hon. Gentleman on securing this debate. As everybody knows, I represent the most beautiful constituency in the United Kingdom. As he says, pubs are not just about food and drink; they are also somewhere for people to go to socialise. They are great for people who are...
I congratulate the hon. Gentleman on securing this debate. As everybody knows, I represent the most beautiful constituency in the United Kingdom. As he says, pubs are not just about food and drink; they are also somewhere for people to go to socialise. They are great for people who are...
Bhatti: I thank the hon. Member for her intervention, but I think we should have a rule in this House that when a Member says they have the best constituency, they owe everyone a pint. [Hon. Members: “Hear, hear!”] I could get used to this popularity. The hon. Member is...
Bhatti: I thank the hon. Member for her intervention, but I think we should have a rule in this House that when a Member says they have the best constituency, they owe everyone a pint. [Hon. Members: “Hear, hear!”] I could get used to this popularity. The hon. Member is...
Does my hon. Friend recognise that, for many rural locations, the rural pub is the last-standing business in the village? It is the post office, the village store, the job club, the parent and child club and the club for the elderly and lonely. I have even seen, through Pub...
Does my hon. Friend recognise that, for many rural locations, the rural pub is the last-standing business in the village? It is the post office, the village store, the job club, the parent and child club and the club for the elderly and lonely. I have even seen, through Pub...
I could not agree more. That is exactly why we are here today. I am really concerned about the core of our communities being hollowed out by Government interventions. For elderly people in particular, a good pub lunch with great drinks and warm food can be a staple of the...
I could not agree more. That is exactly why we are here today. I am really concerned about the core of our communities being hollowed out by Government interventions. For elderly people in particular, a good pub lunch with great drinks and warm food can be a staple of the...
The concerns about taxes that the hon. Member is raising have really affected Jack, the owner of the Ye Olde Poppe Inn in Tatworth, and Buddy, the owner of the Flying Fish. Does the hon. Member agree that we need to lower VAT for pubs?
The concerns about taxes that the hon. Member is raising have really affected Jack, the owner of the Ye Olde Poppe Inn in Tatworth, and Buddy, the owner of the Flying Fish. Does the hon. Member agree that we need to lower VAT for pubs?
The hon. Member makes an interesting point. When publicans speak to me about taxes, they talk about their turnover either increasing or staying stable but the costs going up. The Government have to set out what they will do to improve the fiscal landscape for pubs, and for the hospitality...
The hon. Member makes an interesting point. When publicans speak to me about taxes, they talk about their turnover either increasing or staying stable but the costs going up. The Government have to set out what they will do to improve the fiscal landscape for pubs, and for the hospitality...
It is important to note that the article in The Telegraph on the changes for rural pubs was about the fact that we published, with full transparency, the guidance used to value pubs that was signed off under the previous Government. This Government are cutting pubs’ business rates by 15%...
It is important to note that the article in The Telegraph on the changes for rural pubs was about the fact that we published, with full transparency, the guidance used to value pubs that was signed off under the previous Government. This Government are cutting pubs’ business rates by 15%...
I love the Minister’s passion, but I have not finished yet, and I encourage him—[Interruption.]
I love the Minister’s passion, but I have not finished yet, and I encourage him—[Interruption.]
I will speed up, Mrs Hobhouse, but I encourage the Minister to wait until I have finished. The litany of regulation, such as in the Employment Rights Act 2025, and the taxes that the Government have raised have had a huge impact. Labour is waging war on our rural pubs....
I will speed up, Mrs Hobhouse, but I encourage the Minister to wait until I have finished. The litany of regulation, such as in the Employment Rights Act 2025, and the taxes that the Government have raised have had a huge impact. Labour is waging war on our rural pubs....
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mrs Hobhouse. I congratulate the hon. Member for Meriden and Solihull East (Saqib Bhatti) on securing the debate. As someone who used to represent the industry, I understand the challenges that our pubs have faced not just over the past two...
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mrs Hobhouse. I congratulate the hon. Member for Meriden and Solihull East (Saqib Bhatti) on securing the debate. As someone who used to represent the industry, I understand the challenges that our pubs have faced not just over the past two...
It is a pleasure to speak with you in the Chair, Mrs Hobhouse. I congratulate the hon. Member for Meriden and Solihull East (Saqib Bhatti) on securing this important debate.
I will begin by mentioning two people I represent. Becky runs the Red Lion in Eynsham. She met the Under-Secretary of...
It is a pleasure to speak with you in the Chair, Mrs Hobhouse. I congratulate the hon. Member for Meriden and Solihull East (Saqib Bhatti) on securing this important debate.
I will begin by mentioning two people I represent. Becky runs the Red Lion in Eynsham. She met the Under-Secretary of...
It is a real pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mrs Hobhouse. I give big thanks to the hon. Member for Meriden and Solihull East (Saqib Bhatti) for raising this issue. As always, I will give a Northern Ireland perspective on the issues.
I speak for the small villages, the crossroads...
It is a real pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mrs Hobhouse. I give big thanks to the hon. Member for Meriden and Solihull East (Saqib Bhatti) for raising this issue. As always, I will give a Northern Ireland perspective on the issues.
I speak for the small villages, the crossroads...
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mrs Hobhouse. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Meriden and Solihull East (Saqib Bhatti) on securing such an important debate. I also thank Rajan Sehmi from my office for his support in preparing my notes.
We all know how much...
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mrs Hobhouse. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Meriden and Solihull East (Saqib Bhatti) on securing such an important debate. I also thank Rajan Sehmi from my office for his support in preparing my notes.
We all know how much...