Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of her plans for business rates reform on grassroots music venues.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

As set out at Autumn Budget 2024, the Government will introduce permanently lower tax rates for retail, hospitality, and leisure (RHL) properties with rateable values (RVs) below £500,000, including grassroots music venues, from 2026-27. This permanent tax cut will ensure they benefit from much-needed certainty and support. The Government intends to sustainably fund this by introducing a higher multiplier on all properties with RVs of £500,000 and above.

When the new multipliers are set, HM Treasury intends to publish analysis of the effects of the new multiplier arrangements.

In the interim period, for 2025-26, we have prevented the current RHL relief from ending in April 2025, extending it for one year at 40% up to a cash cap of £110,000 per business.

The Transforming Business Rates: Interim Report, published on 11 September, brings together extensive feedback from a broad range of stakeholders and outlines the Government’s next steps to deliver a fairer business rates system that supports investment and is fit for the 21st century.

The Government will provide a further update at the Budget. Transforming the business rates system is a multi-year process. The Government will consider reforms beyond Budget 2025, and any reforms taken forward will be phased over the course of the Parliament.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress the Flood Resilience Taskforce has made on (a) developing new toolkits for MPs and Mayors to support their understanding of flood warning systems, (b) streamlining the Flood Recovery Framework to enable faster identification of eligibility areas and (c) extending the time by which local authorities can claim business and community recovery grants.

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

The Flood Resilience Taskforce developed a Flood Awareness Toolkit for MPs and Mayors which was distributed in September 2025. It provides information to support their constituents to prepare for, respond to and recover from flooding.

The Floods Resilience Taskforce has reviewed the Flood Recovery Framework to streamline recovery support. It has also worked to improve awareness and access to recovery funding for local authorities and flood-affected communities.

Following activation of the Framework for Storms Babet and Henk in 2023/24, a joint review was undertaken to improve delivery of flood recovery grants. Enhancements have been made to streamline processes, clarify responsibilities and extend data returns and claims deadlines and share best practice.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when the outcomes of her Department’s Flood Funding Reform consultation will be announced.

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

On 14 October, following consultation, the government announced major changes to its flood and coastal erosion funding policy.

The new funding policy will optimise funding between building new flood projects and maintaining existing defences and will ensure that deprived communities continue to receive vital investment. We will use government funding to unlock investment from public, private and charitable sources, making every £1 of government investment go further. We will also invest at least £300 million in natural flood management over ten years – the highest figure to date for the floods programme.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that affordable new homes are built to a high standard of flood resilience.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The National Planning Policy Framework makes clear that inappropriate development in areas at risk of flooding should be avoided by directing development away from areas at highest risk (whether existing or in the future). Where development is necessary in such areas, the development should be made safe for its lifetime without increasing flood risk elsewhere.

If it is found to be necessary to build homes in areas of flood risk, statutory guidance accompanying the Building Regulations promotes flood resilient building work in flood-prone areas, through Approved Document C which can be found on gov.uk here. This may include adequate sub-soil drainage; use of non-return valves and anti-flooding devices on sewers and drains; water resistant construction; and provision for inspection and clearance of sub-floor voids.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if his Department will provide a revised target for the Affordable Homes Programme 2021-26 split between (a) total grant-funded completions and (b) completions for letting at social rents.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

All homes delivered through the 2021-26 Affordable Homes Programme are supported by grant. Those homes are in addition to affordable homes that developers have committed to delivering under negotiated Section 106 agreements.

My Department published an update on targets for the 2021-26 Affordable Homes Programme, including our target for delivering homes for social rent, on 30 July 2024. It can be found on gov.uk here.