Business Rates

Adam Dance Excerpts

Tuesday 27th January 2026 Commons Chamber

[Adam Dance (Yeovil) (LD)]

Many business representatives who met me after the Budget, including Shaun who runs Lanes hotel, will welcome the decision to review the way in which hotels are valued, but their biggest concern is about staying afloat today. A review will not make a difference to the bills that business owners such as Shaun are facing right now. What help will the Government offer rural hotels that are fighting to stay afloat, and does the Minister recognise the uncertainty that all this flip-flopping is creating for the hospitality sector?

[Dan Tomlinson]

We have set out a package of support for hotels and all other businesses. It is worth around £2 billion this year and £4 billion over the next three years. If there are hotels in the hon. Gentleman’s constituency that are facing significant increases in their rateable values this year, the increases in their bills will potentially be many multiples lower, because bill increases are capped at either £800 for small businesses or at 15% or 30% for the largest. It is really important that we distinguish—I am not saying that he is not doing so, because I am not sure of the detail—between the change in rateable values and the change in bills. That is important, and it sometimes gets lost in this discussion.