Asked by: Michelle Scrogham (Labour - Barrow and Furness)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent steps he has taken to support local pubs.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government recognises that pubs play a vital role in supporting local economies and communities across the UK.
That is why the Government announced business rates support for pubs. As of April 2026, every pub received a 15% cut to new business rates bills, followed by a two year real-terms freeze.
A new three-year £10m Hospitality Support Scheme will help improve the resilience of hospitality businesses, including helping pubs in rural areas diversify their community offer. Pubs will also be able to extend opening hours for Home Nations matches in the later stages of the Men’s Football World Cup 2026.