Asked by: Ben Coleman (Labour - Chelsea and Fulham)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she plans to hold discussions with (a) the Mayor of London and (b) local authorities in London on the potential impact of changes to business rates on (i) small and (ii) independent retailers.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government is committed to creating a fairer business rates system that supports small businesses and protects the high street.
To deliver our manifesto pledge, we intend to introduce permanently lower tax rates for retail, hospitality, and leisure (RHL) properties, with rateable values below £500,000, from 2026-27, which will provide permanent support to the sector.
When the new multipliers are set at Budget 2025, HM Treasury intends to publish overall analysis of the effects of the new multiplier arrangements.
Ahead of these changes being made, the Government recognises that businesses will need support in 2025-26. As such, we have prevented the current RHL relief from ending in April 2025, extending it for one year at 40 per cent up to a cash cap of £110,000 per business, and we have frozen the small business multiplier.
Currently, Small Business Rate Relief (SBRR) is available to businesses with a single property below a set rateable value. Eligible properties under £12,000 will receive 100 per cent relief, which means over a third of businesses in England (more than 700,000) pay no business rates at all. There is also tapered support available to properties valued between £12,000 and £15,000, which an additional c.60,000 businesses benefit from.
At Autumn Budget 2024 the Government published a Discussion Paper setting out priority areas for reform, including SBRR.
The Government is committed to retaining SBRR, which is a permanent relief set down in legislation. As highlighted in the Discussion Paper, the Government is interested in hearing stakeholders’ views on the extent to which the current system acts as a barrier to investment and specifically, whether the current eligibility criteria for SBRR impacts businesses' incentives to invest and expand into a second property.
The Government has engaged extensively with stakeholders, both face-to-face at roundtables and through written representations.
In summer, the Government will publish an interim report that sets out a clear direction of travel for the business rates system, with further policy detail to follow at Budget 2025.
HM Treasury releases a quarterly record of Minister’s meetings with external individuals and organisations. This can be found online: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmt-ministers-meetings-hospitality-gifts-and-overseas-travel
Asked by: Ben Coleman (Labour - Chelsea and Fulham)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of changes to business rates on the long-term viability of high streets in Chelsea and Fulham constituency.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government is committed to creating a fairer business rates system that supports small businesses and protects the high street.
To deliver our manifesto pledge, we intend to introduce permanently lower tax rates for retail, hospitality, and leisure (RHL) properties, with rateable values below £500,000, from 2026-27, which will provide permanent support to the sector.
When the new multipliers are set at Budget 2025, HM Treasury intends to publish overall analysis of the effects of the new multiplier arrangements.
Ahead of these changes being made, the Government recognises that businesses will need support in 2025-26. As such, we have prevented the current RHL relief from ending in April 2025, extending it for one year at 40 per cent up to a cash cap of £110,000 per business, and we have frozen the small business multiplier.
Currently, Small Business Rate Relief (SBRR) is available to businesses with a single property below a set rateable value. Eligible properties under £12,000 will receive 100 per cent relief, which means over a third of businesses in England (more than 700,000) pay no business rates at all. There is also tapered support available to properties valued between £12,000 and £15,000, which an additional c.60,000 businesses benefit from.
At Autumn Budget 2024 the Government published a Discussion Paper setting out priority areas for reform, including SBRR.
The Government is committed to retaining SBRR, which is a permanent relief set down in legislation. As highlighted in the Discussion Paper, the Government is interested in hearing stakeholders’ views on the extent to which the current system acts as a barrier to investment and specifically, whether the current eligibility criteria for SBRR impacts businesses' incentives to invest and expand into a second property.
The Government has engaged extensively with stakeholders, both face-to-face at roundtables and through written representations.
In summer, the Government will publish an interim report that sets out a clear direction of travel for the business rates system, with further policy detail to follow at Budget 2025.
HM Treasury releases a quarterly record of Minister’s meetings with external individuals and organisations. This can be found online: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmt-ministers-meetings-hospitality-gifts-and-overseas-travel
Asked by: Ben Coleman (Labour - Chelsea and Fulham)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether her Department plans to introduce additional support measures for small businesses affected by increases in business rates in London boroughs.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government is committed to creating a fairer business rates system that supports small businesses and protects the high street.
To deliver our manifesto pledge, we intend to introduce permanently lower tax rates for retail, hospitality, and leisure (RHL) properties, with rateable values below £500,000, from 2026-27, which will provide permanent support to the sector.
When the new multipliers are set at Budget 2025, HM Treasury intends to publish overall analysis of the effects of the new multiplier arrangements.
Ahead of these changes being made, the Government recognises that businesses will need support in 2025-26. As such, we have prevented the current RHL relief from ending in April 2025, extending it for one year at 40 per cent up to a cash cap of £110,000 per business, and we have frozen the small business multiplier.
Currently, Small Business Rate Relief (SBRR) is available to businesses with a single property below a set rateable value. Eligible properties under £12,000 will receive 100 per cent relief, which means over a third of businesses in England (more than 700,000) pay no business rates at all. There is also tapered support available to properties valued between £12,000 and £15,000, which an additional c.60,000 businesses benefit from.
At Autumn Budget 2024 the Government published a Discussion Paper setting out priority areas for reform, including SBRR.
The Government is committed to retaining SBRR, which is a permanent relief set down in legislation. As highlighted in the Discussion Paper, the Government is interested in hearing stakeholders’ views on the extent to which the current system acts as a barrier to investment and specifically, whether the current eligibility criteria for SBRR impacts businesses' incentives to invest and expand into a second property.
The Government has engaged extensively with stakeholders, both face-to-face at roundtables and through written representations.
In summer, the Government will publish an interim report that sets out a clear direction of travel for the business rates system, with further policy detail to follow at Budget 2025.
HM Treasury releases a quarterly record of Minister’s meetings with external individuals and organisations. This can be found online: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmt-ministers-meetings-hospitality-gifts-and-overseas-travel
Asked by: Ben Coleman (Labour - Chelsea and Fulham)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps her Department is taking to support small businesses in (a) high-rent areas and (b) Chelsea and Fulham constituency, in the context of recent changes to business rates.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government is committed to creating a fairer business rates system that supports small businesses and protects the high street.
To deliver our manifesto pledge, we intend to introduce permanently lower tax rates for retail, hospitality, and leisure (RHL) properties, with rateable values below £500,000, from 2026-27, which will provide permanent support to the sector.
When the new multipliers are set at Budget 2025, HM Treasury intends to publish overall analysis of the effects of the new multiplier arrangements.
Ahead of these changes being made, the Government recognises that businesses will need support in 2025-26. As such, we have prevented the current RHL relief from ending in April 2025, extending it for one year at 40 per cent up to a cash cap of £110,000 per business, and we have frozen the small business multiplier.
Currently, Small Business Rate Relief (SBRR) is available to businesses with a single property below a set rateable value. Eligible properties under £12,000 will receive 100 per cent relief, which means over a third of businesses in England (more than 700,000) pay no business rates at all. There is also tapered support available to properties valued between £12,000 and £15,000, which an additional c.60,000 businesses benefit from.
At Autumn Budget 2024 the Government published a Discussion Paper setting out priority areas for reform, including SBRR.
The Government is committed to retaining SBRR, which is a permanent relief set down in legislation. As highlighted in the Discussion Paper, the Government is interested in hearing stakeholders’ views on the extent to which the current system acts as a barrier to investment and specifically, whether the current eligibility criteria for SBRR impacts businesses' incentives to invest and expand into a second property.
The Government has engaged extensively with stakeholders, both face-to-face at roundtables and through written representations.
In summer, the Government will publish an interim report that sets out a clear direction of travel for the business rates system, with further policy detail to follow at Budget 2025.
HM Treasury releases a quarterly record of Minister’s meetings with external individuals and organisations. This can be found online: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmt-ministers-meetings-hospitality-gifts-and-overseas-travel
Asked by: Ben Coleman (Labour - Chelsea and Fulham)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of changes to business rates on small independent businesses in Chelsea and Fulham constituency.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government is committed to creating a fairer business rates system that supports small businesses and protects the high street.
To deliver our manifesto pledge, we intend to introduce permanently lower tax rates for retail, hospitality, and leisure (RHL) properties, with rateable values below £500,000, from 2026-27, which will provide permanent support to the sector.
When the new multipliers are set at Budget 2025, HM Treasury intends to publish overall analysis of the effects of the new multiplier arrangements.
Ahead of these changes being made, the Government recognises that businesses will need support in 2025-26. As such, we have prevented the current RHL relief from ending in April 2025, extending it for one year at 40 per cent up to a cash cap of £110,000 per business, and we have frozen the small business multiplier.
Currently, Small Business Rate Relief (SBRR) is available to businesses with a single property below a set rateable value. Eligible properties under £12,000 will receive 100 per cent relief, which means over a third of businesses in England (more than 700,000) pay no business rates at all. There is also tapered support available to properties valued between £12,000 and £15,000, which an additional c.60,000 businesses benefit from.
At Autumn Budget 2024 the Government published a Discussion Paper setting out priority areas for reform, including SBRR.
The Government is committed to retaining SBRR, which is a permanent relief set down in legislation. As highlighted in the Discussion Paper, the Government is interested in hearing stakeholders’ views on the extent to which the current system acts as a barrier to investment and specifically, whether the current eligibility criteria for SBRR impacts businesses' incentives to invest and expand into a second property.
The Government has engaged extensively with stakeholders, both face-to-face at roundtables and through written representations.
In summer, the Government will publish an interim report that sets out a clear direction of travel for the business rates system, with further policy detail to follow at Budget 2025.
HM Treasury releases a quarterly record of Minister’s meetings with external individuals and organisations. This can be found online: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmt-ministers-meetings-hospitality-gifts-and-overseas-travel
Asked by: Ben Coleman (Labour - Chelsea and Fulham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Written Statement of 22 May 2025 on Childhood Obesity, HCWS652, what steps he is taking to ensure that the final non-statutory guidance issued by the Advertising Standards Authority protects children from unhealthy food and drink advertising.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government has committed to implementing advertising restrictions for less healthy food and drink on television and online as part of its ambition to raise the healthiest generation of children ever. These restrictions are expected to remove up to 7.2 billion calories from United Kingdom children’s diets per year and deliver £2 billion in health benefits.
Ofcom was appointed as the statutory regulator for the advertising restrictions and this was set out in primary legislation via the Health and Care Act 2022. Following consultation, Ofcom appointed the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) as the frontline regulator.
The ASA is developing non-statutory implementation guidance to set out how it will enforce the restrictions in practice. The ASA is required by law to consult my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on its implementation guidance ahead of publication.