Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the implications for his policies of the level of business rates paid by (a) public houses and (b) other businesses with similar turnover.

In March the Chancellor announced a business rates holiday for the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors, irrespective of rateable value. This means that pubs in England will pay no business rates this year. Combined with Small Business Rates Relief, over 1 million ratepayers will pay no business rates in 2020-21. This is more than half of all properties in England.