AQO 3279/11-15

Mr Stewart Dickson
Alliance Party
East Antrim

Tabled Date: 17/01/2013
Answered On Date: 29/01/2013
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Finance and Personnel what support his Department is offering to businesses that have experienced trading loss as a consequence of flag protests.

Answer:

This is a matter for wider Executive consideration in terms of what other Departments can do to offer help. My Ministerial Colleagues and I have held meetings with a number of retail organisations including the Northern Ireland Independent Retailers Association, Belfast Chamber of Trade and Commerce and Pubs of Ulster to discuss the matter and look at the way forward. The focus of this is on remedies that will increase footfall, such as providing financial support for marketing campaigns.

This is rather than looking to the rating system. Rates relief will not get people back out shopping and socialising. In any case there is little or no scope within rates legislation to provide relief in these circumstances and it would take too long to develop a rates policy to deal with this, which would then require new legislation.

LPS, however, is prepared to consider flexibility in terms of payment arrangements for those badly hit by the current disturbances. Many will already have payment arrangements in place and will have paid all or most of their rates for the year. However, LPS will consider sympathetically any requests to defer a final payment to next year when it would be added to next year’s instalments. I would urge anyone in real difficulty to talk to LPS as soon as possible. LPS cannot, however, waive rates nor can they terminate recovery of rate debt where ratepayers have made little or no effort to pay.