Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of replacing Business Rates with a Land Value Tax.

The Government is committed to creating a fairer business rates system over the course of this Parliament that protects the high street, supports investment, and is fit for the 21st century.

The Government has already started the work of reforming our business rates system by introducing new permanently lower multipliers for eligible retail, hospitality and leisure (RHL) properties. These provide nearly £1 billion per year of support to the RHL sector and benefit over 750,000 properties.

The Government is continuing to review the wider business rates system to ensure it better supports high streets, local economies and small businesses, and further decisions on business rates reform will be set out in the normal way at the Budget.