Nurseries: Non-domestic Rates

(asked on 18th October 2016) - View Source

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many local authorities have offered reduced business rates to private nurseries since the Minister for Childcare's speech at the launch of the NDNA's Annual Nursery Survey in January 2015.


Answered by
Caroline Dinenage Portrait
Caroline Dinenage
This question was answered on 21st October 2016

The Government does not collect data on particular types of premises that might have benefited from local discretionary relief.

Central Government has given local authorities wide-ranging, discretionary powers to grant business rates discounts as they see fit – they are best placed to serve the needs of their community. All local authorities which grant a local discount will receive 50% of the cost from central Government funds.

The Minister for Childcare wrote to all local authorities in November 2014 to encourage them to apply business rates relief to nurseries and reminded them that central Government will meet 50% of the costs involved. He also encouraged nurseries to follow up with their local authorities themselves. The Department for Communities and Local Government wrote to local authorities in January 2015, reinforcing this message. This letter is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/395333/BRIL_1__-_2015__-__General_-_14_Jan.pdf

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