Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 13 July 2017 to Question 3427, on non-domestic rates, when the joint working group last met with the Local Government Association.

The Government is committed to working closely with local government to meet the Government’s commitment to continue to give local government greater control over the money they raise. A joint steering group and a series of joint working groups were established with the Local Government Association in 2016 as one way, but not the only way, through which the Government could work with the local government sector on developing proposals for business rates retention. The different working groups meet on different frequencies depending on the work they are undertaking at any particular time . The Government will take a decision on how best to continue to engage the Local Government Association, the steering and working groups and the sector more generally as part of its future plans.