Commons Library analysis of the Business and Planning Bill 2019-21

This Library Paper has been prepared for the Commons stages of the Business and Planning Bill 2019-21 on 29 June 2020.

The Business and Planning Bill 2019-21 was introduced in the House of Commons on 25 June 2020.

The purpose of the Bill is to help businesses recover from the disruption caused by Covid-19 and to support them in implementing safer ways of working, in particular the need for social distancing. The Bill would:

• make it easier for restaurants and pubs in England and Wales to seat and serve customers outdoors through temporary changes to licensing law and outdoor seating;
• make changes to planning law in England to ensure that the planning system can support the planning and safe construction of new development following the impact of Covid-19;
• facilitate ‘Bounce Back Loans’ by disapplying ‘unfair relationships’ provisions in the Consumer Credit Act 1974 for lending made under the Bounce Back Loans Scheme;
• make changes to HGV and PCV licensing in Great Britain and Northern Ireland and roadworthiness testing for heavy vehicles in Great Britain to prevent a backlog of checks and tests from disrupting services, whilst respecting safety considerations.

The Bill is due to have its Commons stages on 29 June 2020.

The Bill, Explanatory Notes, Government Analysis, and other documents are available from the Parliament website.