Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes to business rates liability from 1 April 2026 on participation in grassroots sport in England; and whether she has made representations to the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government on that issue.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

DCMS engaged extensively with HM Treasury in the run up to the Autumn Budget 2025 and provided evidence to HM Treasury on the anticipated impact to the sport and leisure sector.

The Government has announced a support package worth £4.3 billion to protect against ratepayers seeing large overnight increases in their business rates bills because of the revaluation.

In addition, the Government is introducing new permanently lower multipliers for eligible retail, hospitality and leisure properties, which are worth nearly £1 billion per year and will benefit over 750,000 properties.

As a result, over half of ratepayers will see no bill increases, including 23% seeing their bills go down, next year. This also means most properties seeing increases will see them capped at 15% or less next year, or £800 for the smallest.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what estimate his Department has made of the number of hereditaments in England used wholly or mainly for community sport that receive (a) mandatory charitable rate relief, (b) mandatory Community Amateur Sports Club rate relief and (c) discretionary rate relief from local authorities; and what estimate he has made of the total value of relief awarded in each category in 2025-26.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Department only collects aggregate data on the rateable values and reliefs and does not collect data broken down by type of business. Forecast data for 2025-26 is published on gov.uk here.

Support for ratepayers facing increases in their business rates bills at the 2026 revaluation is provided by the Transitional Relief Scheme and the Supporting Small Business Relief Scheme. Transitional Relief caps the bill increases of all ratepayers and is calculated from a base liability of the 2025/26 bill before all other reliefs.

Supporting Small Business Relief calculates support from a base liability of the 2025/26 bill including eligible reliefs. For the 2026 scheme, those ratepayers losing some or all of their Small Business Rate Relief, Rural Rate Relief, 2025/26 Retail, Hospitality and leisure Relief, or 2023 Supporting Small Business Rate Relief will be eligible for the 2026 Supporting Small Business Scheme.

Further information on business rates reliefs can be found on gov.uk here.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what estimate his Department has made of the number of hereditaments used wholly or mainly for community sport in England that will see an increase in their (a) rateable value and (b) business rates liability from 1 April 2026; and what transitional arrangements will apply to those hereditaments.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Department only collects aggregate data on the rateable values and reliefs and does not collect data broken down by type of business. Forecast data for 2025-26 is published on gov.uk here.

Support for ratepayers facing increases in their business rates bills at the 2026 revaluation is provided by the Transitional Relief Scheme and the Supporting Small Business Relief Scheme. Transitional Relief caps the bill increases of all ratepayers and is calculated from a base liability of the 2025/26 bill before all other reliefs.

Supporting Small Business Relief calculates support from a base liability of the 2025/26 bill including eligible reliefs. For the 2026 scheme, those ratepayers losing some or all of their Small Business Rate Relief, Rural Rate Relief, 2025/26 Retail, Hospitality and leisure Relief, or 2023 Supporting Small Business Rate Relief will be eligible for the 2026 Supporting Small Business Scheme.

Further information on business rates reliefs can be found on gov.uk here.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what estimate his Department has made of the number and proportion of sports clubs and community sport facilities in England that will qualify for the retail, hospitality and leisure business rates multipliers from 1 April 2026.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Department only collects aggregate data on the rateable values and reliefs and does not collect data broken down by type of business. Forecast data for 2025-26 is published on gov.uk here.

Support for ratepayers facing increases in their business rates bills at the 2026 revaluation is provided by the Transitional Relief Scheme and the Supporting Small Business Relief Scheme. Transitional Relief caps the bill increases of all ratepayers and is calculated from a base liability of the 2025/26 bill before all other reliefs.

Supporting Small Business Relief calculates support from a base liability of the 2025/26 bill including eligible reliefs. For the 2026 scheme, those ratepayers losing some or all of their Small Business Rate Relief, Rural Rate Relief, 2025/26 Retail, Hospitality and leisure Relief, or 2023 Supporting Small Business Rate Relief will be eligible for the 2026 Supporting Small Business Scheme.

Further information on business rates reliefs can be found on gov.uk here.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate she has made of the cost of extending business rates relief beyond 31 March 2026 for premises used for community sport; and whether she has considered a sector-specific relief for grassroots sports clubs.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

Currently, properties which are wholly or mainly used for charitable purposes, including community amateur sports clubs, are eligible for charitable relief, which provides businesses with up to 80% off their business rates bills. Provision of further relief to charitable properties is at the discretion of local authorities.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what guidance the Environment Agency provides to local planning authorities on assessing the cumulative impact of development on surface water flood risk and drainage capacity in low-lying coastal areas.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Lead Local Flood Authorities (LLFAs) are the lead authority for managing surface water flooding. LLFAs are statutory consultees on major development, providing expert advice to local planning authorities. The Environment Agency (EA) has a strategic overview for all sources of flooding.

In December 2024 the EA published its updated National Assessment of Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk in England. This included an updated assessment of surface water flood risk.

The EA also supports consideration of surface water flood risk in decision making for new developments through the Flood Map for Planning and Check your long term flood risk services.

The EA is supporting implementation of the Government’s new flood and coastal erosion risk management funding policy, which made several improvements to aid investment in managing surface water flooding. The EA has produced guidance explaining how the new policy will work in practice.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment the Environment Agency has made of the condition and remaining operational lifespan of pumping, outfall, and other flood risk management assets for which it is responsible in Bognor Regis and Littlehampton constituency; and what plans are in place to refurbish or replace those assets where required.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Over the last 5 years, the Environment Agency has inspected all the flood risk assets it operates and maintains across the Bognor Regis and Littlehampton area. Each year the Environment Agency delivers an asset reconditioning programme whereby assets rated poor or worse are prioritised for repair or replacement when funding is available. Priority is given to assets that protect the most properties, and assessments are made on decommissioning assets where they no longer provide a flood risk benefit.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the enforcement powers available to the Environment Agency to ensure effective oversight of the maintenance of privately owned watercourses in high flood risk areas; and what steps she is taking to review those powers.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Defra has examined the statutory powers and responsibilities for mapping, monitoring, inspecting and maintaining all flood and coastal erosion risk assets, including those owned by third parties. This review which also considered enforcement powers, including under the Water Resources Act 1991, will be published soon.

We expect all asset owners, risk management authorities, public and community bodies, private organisations and riparian owners to invest in maintenance and make timely repairs. The Environment Agency has updated its guidance on riparian owners Owning a watercourse.

Found: Wednesbury) John Cooper (Conservative; Dumfries and Galloway) Sarah Edwards (Labour; Tamworth) Alison Griffiths

Found: Bristol Central) Barry Gardiner (Labour; Brent West) Sarah Gibson (Liberal Democrat; Chippenham) Alison Griffiths

Found: Perkins (Chair); Olivia Blake; Julia Buckley; Jonathan Davies; Carla Denyer; Barry Gardiner; Alison Griffiths

Found: Perkins (Chair); Olivia Blake; Julia Buckley; Jonathan Davies; Carla Denyer; Barry Gardiner; Alison Griffiths

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Liam Byrne (Chair); Dan Aldridge; John Cooper; Alison Griffiths;

Submit Evidence (by 12 Apr 2026)

Demand for critical minerals has grown rapidly in recent years. New technologies, including turbines and data centres, require more minerals than the older systems they replace. At the same time, global trade in these materials has become more fractured and competitive.

Submit Evidence (by 3 Apr 2026)

The Business and Trade Committee is launching an inquiry into Artificial Intelligence (AI) in order to better understand the opportunities and costs for businesses and the workforce, and to make recommendations on Government priorities.