Julian presses Chancellor on further support for business energy costs
March 21, 2023
At Treasury Questions today, Julian pressed the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Jeremy Hunt MP, for further support for businesses to help manage energy costs.
This follows his Business Club meeting last Friday where Julian discussed the Budget with businesses representing all the major sectors in York. While many parts of the Budget were welcomed, there was some disappointment that energy support for businesses did not go further.
At Treasury Questions, Julian asked the Chancellor:
“Talking to businesses in York on Friday, they stressed to me that energy bills are still a worry for many of them, especially for the hospitality sector which is so important for our city in York. It is clear that the next six months will be critical for these businesses. So could I ask the Chancellor, if he could look into more targeted support for the hospitality sector?”
Julian has also recently written to hundreds of hospitality businesses in York asking them to complete a survey to help inform his lobbying efforts.
Julian has been calling for support for businesses since the start of the energy crisis. Back in September, he highlighted the need for support for businesses.
Everyone had been, justifiably, concerned with support for households but Julian drew attention to the need for support for businesses as well. He campaigned for an energy price cap during the Conservative leadership election, given businesses bore the brunt of the economic storm that was the pandemic.
The Chancellor asked Julian to keep him informed of the effect of the energy crisis on the hospitality, as well as pass the results of the survey onto him, and Julian will continue to support local businesses and lobby the Government for more support.
