Part of 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 2:29 pm on 2 February 2021.
Thank you. First Minister, many high street shops have gone and they are unlikely to ever return. The loss of Debenhams and the Arcadia Group brands and the jobs attached to the physical stores is being felt very keenly across north Wales. The pandemic has resulted in a moratorium on business rates, which, in turn, will result in the lowering of tax revenue for local authorities. Is it now time for a radical rethink of a business rates regime that has been seen as a limiting influence on business start-ups and their sustainability, and to look at something that reflects modern shopping habits, like a small online sales tax?