Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Number 10 press release entitled and Burnham means business: PM slashes business rates bills for pubs, clubs and live music venues, published on 23 July 2026, whether the new pub relief will apply to (a) premises paying the high value business rate surcharge, (b) private members' clubs which are not open to the general public, including venues with a club premises licence under the Licensing Act 2003, (c) hotels, (d) nightclubs which do not play live music, (e) pubs with hotel rooms classified by the HMRC Valuation Office under Special Category Code 227 and (f) restaurants with a bar open to the general public for drinks.

The 20 per cent relief announced in July will be available for all pubs, social clubs and all but the very largest live music venues.

The scope of the 20 per cent relief will broadly mirror the scope of the existing 15 per cent relief. ^[1]

Eligible social clubs must be open to the general public and permit drinks to be purchased at a bar. Social clubs include working men's clubs, ex-servicemen's clubs and other community membership clubs that are open to broad sections of the local community.

The 20 per cent relief will be awarded at the discretion of Local Authorities, who will determine eligibility using guidance published by the Government and based on existing definitions.

The Government will set out further details of the relief, including the treatment of the very largest venues, at the Budget.

[1] https://www.gov.uk/government/news/pubs-and-live-music-venues-relief