Along with my colleagues, I wrote to the Business Secretary Alok Sharma asking him to provide additional financial support for businesses including businesses in shared spaces, regular market traders, small charity properties that would meet the criteria for Small Business Rates Relief, and Bed and Breakfasts that pay council tax rather than business rates. I am pleased to see his announcement of a further fund to meet some of this need. In addition, he is allowing local authorities to choose to make payments to other businesses based on local economic need.
