Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has made of an assessment of the potential merits of launching a consultation into the long-term viability of the pub industry.

The government is committed to ensuring the long-term viability of the pub industry.

At Autumn Budget 2017 we continued the £1,000 business rate discount for small and medium pubs in 2018/19, and pubs are benefitting from wider reforms and reductions to business rates – which will provide over £10 billion in support by 2023.

We will continue to evaluate how best to support local pubs as part of the Budget process.