Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether businesses with A2 category premises are eligible for the business rates holiday.

Some A2 category premises will benefit from the business rates holiday for the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors. The Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government published updated guidance for those eligible properties on 25 March.

A range of further measures to support all businesses, including those not eligible for the business rates holiday, have also been made available. These include the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme to help firms continue to keep people in employment, the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme offering loans of up to £5 million for SMEs through the British Business Bank, and the deferral of VAT payments for this quarter.