April 2020
Dear Constituent,
Thank you for writing to me about coronavirus and the impact on veterinarians. I have read your email carefully and noted the key points that you raise.
I am pleased that veterinary businesses are able to continue to stay open to perform vital, lifesaving operations and important check-ups on pets. They are also able to continue to sell veterinary products, including medicine and food.
It is my understanding that the Government has not yet introduced business rates holidays for non-hospitality businesses. However, I appreciate your strength of feeling on this matter and on the other concerns that you have mentioned, and I will certainly raise these when I speak with ministerial colleagues.
I would like to assure you that the Government committed to helping small businesses in this challenging and unprecedented time. The Chancellor, Rishi Sunak MP, has announced several economic relief measures including deferring Value Added Tax (VAT) payments for 3 months, introducing the Small Business Grant Scheme, a Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme. For more information please see below some useful links:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-to-employers-and-businesses-about-covid-19
https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus/business-support
The British Veterinary Association has published a FAQs document which answers many specialist questions, which can be seen at:
https://www.bva.co.uk/coronavirus/frequently-asked-questions/
Thank you again for writing to me about this important matter.
With best wishes.
Kind regards,
Jonathan Lord
Member of Parliament for Woking