Asked by: Michelle Scrogham (Labour - Barrow and Furness)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of (a) freezing fuel duty and (b) the introduction of a 12-month Vehicle Excise Duty for heavy good vehicles on the road haulage sector; and what assessment she has made of the potential merits of introducing (a) an essential user rebate and (b) further targeted support for the sector.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
On 20 May the Government announced a package worth around £600m, which combines broad support with targeted support for sectors most exposed to and affected by higher fuel prices.
Concerning the broad support, the temporary 5p per litre fuel duty cut will be extended until the end of the year, providing certainty to motorists and other road users. Taken together, fuel duty freezes since 2025 will save the average HGV over £2,000, or 11p per litre. Further information on the impacts of the amended fuel duty rates is available on GOV.UK.
The 12-month holiday from Vehicle Excise Duty for the majority of heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) will save a typical HGV £600 on top of savings from the fuel duty freeze. This targeted support recognises the key role the sector plays in transporting goods across the UK and their exposure to pump prices.
The Government keeps all taxes under review and will continue to monitor the situation and make the necessary decisions to help protect the haulage sector from price increases stemming from the conflict in the Middle East.
Asked by: Michelle Scrogham (Labour - Barrow and Furness)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what progress her Department has made on reforming the business rates system to support small businesses and maintain community infrastructure in rural areas.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
Rural Rate Relief (RRR) provides 100 per cent business rates relief for certain properties that are based in eligible rural areas with populations below 3,000.
At the Budget, the Valuation Office announced updated property values from the 2026 revaluation. This revaluation is the first since pandemic, which has led to significant increases in rateable values for some properties.
In recognition of the impact of the revaluation on bills, the Government has introduced a support package worth £4.3 billion to protect against ratepayers seeing large overnight increases in bills. This includes the Supporting Small Business scheme, which supports ratepayers who have lost eligibility for certain reliefs, including RRR. This means most properties seeing increases have them capped at 15% or less in 2026/27, or £800 for the smallest.
More broadly, the Government has introduced new permanently lower multipliers for eligible retail, hospitality and leisure properties. The Government has also introduced a 1-year 15 per cent relief for all pubs and live music venues in 2026/27, on top of the existing support package announced at the Budget. For the following two years, their bills will be frozen in real terms.
Around a third of properties pay no business rates as they receive 100 per cent Small Business Rate Relief (SBRR), with an additional 85,000 benefitting from reduced bills as this relief tapers. At the Budget, the Government introduced an additional two years of SBRR for businesses expanding into a second property to support small businesses to grow and expand.
Asked by: Michelle Scrogham (Labour - Barrow and Furness)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether her Department has considered introducing tapered arrangements for Rural Rate Relief to mitigate the loss of relief where rateable values increase marginally above the eligibility threshold.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
Rural Rate Relief (RRR) provides 100 per cent business rates relief for certain properties that are based in eligible rural areas with populations below 3,000.
At the Budget, the Valuation Office announced updated property values from the 2026 revaluation. This revaluation is the first since pandemic, which has led to significant increases in rateable values for some properties.
In recognition of the impact of the revaluation on bills, the Government has introduced a support package worth £4.3 billion to protect against ratepayers seeing large overnight increases in bills. This includes the Supporting Small Business scheme, which supports ratepayers who have lost eligibility for certain reliefs, including RRR. This means most properties seeing increases have them capped at 15% or less in 2026/27, or £800 for the smallest.
More broadly, the Government has introduced new permanently lower multipliers for eligible retail, hospitality and leisure properties. The Government has also introduced a 1-year 15 per cent relief for all pubs and live music venues in 2026/27, on top of the existing support package announced at the Budget. For the following two years, their bills will be frozen in real terms.
Around a third of properties pay no business rates as they receive 100 per cent Small Business Rate Relief (SBRR), with an additional 85,000 benefitting from reduced bills as this relief tapers. At the Budget, the Government introduced an additional two years of SBRR for businesses expanding into a second property to support small businesses to grow and expand.
Asked by: Michelle Scrogham (Labour - Barrow and Furness)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the impact of the most recent business rates revaluation on small rural businesses in receipt of Rural Rate Relief, with particular reference to community pubs.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
Rural Rate Relief (RRR) provides 100 per cent business rates relief for certain properties that are based in eligible rural areas with populations below 3,000.
At the Budget, the Valuation Office announced updated property values from the 2026 revaluation. This revaluation is the first since pandemic, which has led to significant increases in rateable values for some properties.
In recognition of the impact of the revaluation on bills, the Government has introduced a support package worth £4.3 billion to protect against ratepayers seeing large overnight increases in bills. This includes the Supporting Small Business scheme, which supports ratepayers who have lost eligibility for certain reliefs, including RRR. This means most properties seeing increases have them capped at 15% or less in 2026/27, or £800 for the smallest.
More broadly, the Government has introduced new permanently lower multipliers for eligible retail, hospitality and leisure properties. The Government has also introduced a 1-year 15 per cent relief for all pubs and live music venues in 2026/27, on top of the existing support package announced at the Budget. For the following two years, their bills will be frozen in real terms.
Around a third of properties pay no business rates as they receive 100 per cent Small Business Rate Relief (SBRR), with an additional 85,000 benefitting from reduced bills as this relief tapers. At the Budget, the Government introduced an additional two years of SBRR for businesses expanding into a second property to support small businesses to grow and expand.
Asked by: Michelle Scrogham (Labour - Barrow and Furness)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how the effectiveness of existing support schemes, including the Supporting Small Business scheme, is being evaluated in relation to businesses that have lost eligibility for Rural Rate Relief following revaluation.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
Rural Rate Relief (RRR) provides 100 per cent business rates relief for certain properties that are based in eligible rural areas with populations below 3,000.
At the Budget, the Valuation Office announced updated property values from the 2026 revaluation. This revaluation is the first since pandemic, which has led to significant increases in rateable values for some properties.
In recognition of the impact of the revaluation on bills, the Government has introduced a support package worth £4.3 billion to protect against ratepayers seeing large overnight increases in bills. This includes the Supporting Small Business scheme, which supports ratepayers who have lost eligibility for certain reliefs, including RRR. This means most properties seeing increases have them capped at 15% or less in 2026/27, or £800 for the smallest.
More broadly, the Government has introduced new permanently lower multipliers for eligible retail, hospitality and leisure properties. The Government has also introduced a 1-year 15 per cent relief for all pubs and live music venues in 2026/27, on top of the existing support package announced at the Budget. For the following two years, their bills will be frozen in real terms.
Around a third of properties pay no business rates as they receive 100 per cent Small Business Rate Relief (SBRR), with an additional 85,000 benefitting from reduced bills as this relief tapers. At the Budget, the Government introduced an additional two years of SBRR for businesses expanding into a second property to support small businesses to grow and expand.