AQW 20446/17-22

Mr Andrew Muir
Alliance Party
North Down

Tabled Date: 15/06/2021
Answered On Date: 29/06/2021
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Finance for his assessment on the viability of recent proposal from Landsec and British Land for a six months’ timeframe to agree a plan for business rent arrears to be paid back before a requirement to enter into a binding arbitration, such arrears having being accrued during the moratorium on eviction put in place as part of COVID-19 pandemic.

Answer:

As the member will be aware, the British Government announced on 16 June 2021 its intent to significantly extend statutory measures that protect commercial tenants in England from eviction to 25 March 2022, as well as announcing major plans for primary legislation for England at Westminster, coming into operation during 2022.

I have extended the moratorium on evictions for commercial tenancies here until the end of September 2021; this three months period ahead gives us the opportunity to engage with the local business sector in relation to next steps.