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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 31 March 2025 to Question 122861 on Business Rates, Gyms and Leisure Centres, whether she hold discussions with the leisure centre and gym sector on the impact of business rate costs on levels of service provision to promote health and wellbeing in communities.

The Government recognises the importance of ensuring public access to gyms and leisure facilities, which are great spaces for people of all ages to stay fit and healthy, and play an important role within communities.

We regularly engage with the leisure sector on a broad range of issues, including the impact of business rates.

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. 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.