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

To ask Her Majesty’s Government to what extent, and how, they have taken account of future rateable value revaluations and refunds of business rates following revaluations in their assessment of the spending levels of local authorities in the next four years.

The next business rates revaluation takes effect from 1 April 2017 and will result in changes to business rates income at the local authority level. The Government will consider adjustments to the rates retention scheme at revaluation to ensure, as far as possible, that local authority income from business rates retention is unaffected by the revaluation. My officials will be discussing this matter with local government over the coming months.