Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, when his Department plans to share further details on the additional £1.5 billion of business rates relief for businesses that are ineligible for retail discount or business grant schemes as announced on 25 March 2021.

The Government is currently preparing guidance to support local authorities ahead of rollout of the £1.5 billion business rates relief fund. The final guidance, its specifics and level of prescription, will reflect considerations including the existing framework of Government support, information held by local authorities and their capacity to administer various parameters, as well as subsidy control considerations.

This discretionary relief pot approach has been taken to get funding to businesses as soon as possible and on the basis of their actual economic exposure to COVID-19 rather than the pandemic’s hypothetical impact on property rental values. The alternative of prolonged litigation and appeals through the Material Change of Circumstance provision could have taken years.

The Government will support local authorities to enable ratepayers to apply for relief awards as soon as possible this year, once the legislation relating to Material Change of Circumstance provisions has passed, and local authorities have set up local relief schemes.