Peter Aldous welcomes the Bill but tables a series of amendments to improve the Bill and make business rates more effective and fair including moving to annual valuations, abolishing the duty to notify which will be a onerous burden and abolishing downwards transitional phasing, which can penalize businesses whose property values have fallen.
Peter Aldous highlights role of fish and chip shops in the revival of the domestic fishing industry, but they face an ongoing triple whammy of high energy costs, high fish prices and the high cost of cooking oil. He calls on the Government to work proactively with the sector to agree a strategy to ensure the survival and subsequent flourishing of fish and chip shops.
Peter Aldous welcomes the Government’s announcement of an additional £5.6 million for legal aid to support family members seeking guardianship of vulnerable children but calls on the Government to make that part of a wider review of the rights of family members, specifically grandparents who are very often best placed to provide a loving home, care and support.
Peter Aldous speaks in a debate on dentistry in the East of England and calls on the Government to address the specific problems of historical poor funding, the challenge in recruiting and retaining dentists, the lack of training facilities and the need for a dentistry school in the region.
Peter Aldous calls on the Government to ensure sufficient sites are available for smaller house builders, planning authorities are properly staffed, Homes England has the resources to provide finance and calls for zero rating of VAT for conversion and refurbishment work, to put such projects on a level playing field with new build.
Peter Aldous backs the Energy Bill which will play a key role in delivering reasonably priced electricity, enhancing energy security and meeting the challenge of climate change, but urges the Government to back Lords amendments that would require Ofgem have a duty to consider net zero and help communities deliver community energy schemes.
Speaking in the Third Reading debate, Peter Aldous welcomes the Government’s efforts to enable people to realise their full potential through lifelong learning, but calls for the measures in this Bill to be part of a wider, coherent post-16 education and skills strategy.
Peter Aldous takes the opportunity of the launch of the National Piers Society’s touring exhibition of seaside pier posters to raise concerns that the international promotion of tourism is too London-centric, and asks what is being done to promote the unique offer of coastal Britain to overseas visitors.
