Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the total cost of the Business Rates relief introduced in March 2020 has been to the Treasury.

Answered by Lucy Frazer - Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport

According to the national non-domestic rates data collected by local authorities, the cost of the retail, hospitality, and leisure relief was £11.1 billion in 2020-21, and is expected to be £5.8 billion in 2021-22. This data is published by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities and can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/national-non-domestic-rates-collected-by-councils

This support means that eligible properties paid no business rates for 15 months from 1 April 2020. Additionally, due to the 66 per cent capped relief which took effect on 1 July 2021, over 90 per cent of eligible businesses will see a 75 per cent reduction in their business rates bill across this entire financial year to next April.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what (a) retail, (b) hospitality and (c) leisure properties will be eligible for the temporary business rates relief as announced in the Autumn Budget 2021.

Answered by Lucy Frazer - Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport

Guidance setting out eligibility for the 2022-23 retail, hospitality and leisure relief will be published by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities in due course.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has made a comparative assessment of the impact on large business that have several venues of introducing the 50 per cent business rates relief discount on a (a) per business and (b) per premises basis.

Answered by Lucy Frazer - Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport

Together with Small Business Rates Relief, over 90 per cent of retail, hospitality and leisure businesses will receive at least a 50 per cent reduction in their business rates bills in the year 2022-23.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the 50 per cent business rates relief discount will be afforded per businesses or per premises; and whether high street and seaside arcades will be eligible for that support.

Answered by Lucy Frazer - Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport

Eligible retail, hospitality and leisure properties in England will receive up to 50 per cent off their business rates bill in 2022-23, subject to a £110,000 cash cap per business.

Guidance setting out eligibility for the 2022-23 retail, hospitality and leisure relief will be published by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities in due course.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, when the Government plans to publish guidance on the businesses that will be eligible for the 50 per cent business rates relief discount; and whether (a) seaside and (b) high street arcades will be included.

Answered by Lucy Frazer - Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport

Guidance setting out eligibility for the 2022-23 retail, hospitality and leisure relief will be published by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities in due course.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, when the Government plans to publish guidance on which businesses will be eligible for the 50 per cent business rates relief discount; and whether high street adult gaming centres are planned to be eligible.

Answered by Lucy Frazer - Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport

Guidance setting out eligibility for the 2022-23 retail, hospitality and leisure relief will be published by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities in due course.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the 50 per cent business rates relief discount will be available per business or per premise.

Answered by Lucy Frazer - Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport

Eligible retail, hospitality and leisure properties in England will receive up to 50 per cent off their business rates bill in 2022-23, subject to a £110,000 cash cap per business.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he plans to increase the cap on the 50 per cent reduction in business rates for the retail, leisure and hospitality sector to support businesses with larger numbers of sites.

Answered by Lucy Frazer - Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport

Together with Small Business Rates Relief, over 90 per cent of retail, hospitality and leisure businesses will receive at least a 50 per cent reduction in their business rates bills in 2022-23.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much of the £1.5 billion Business Rates Relief fund, announced on 25 March 2021, has been distributed to businesses; and what the timescale is by which all of the fund will have been distributed to businesses.

Answered by Jesse Norman

Funding for businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic that have not otherwise been eligible for existing reliefs will be available once the legislation relating to material change in circumstance provisions has passed and Local Authorities (LAs) have established their own local relief schemes. The Government will support LAs to do this as quickly as possible, including through new burdens funding.

Formal guidance will follow in due course, setting out the specific considerations that LAs should have regard for when providing relief. Relief will be for LAs to award on a discretionary basis.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what guidance he plans to make to billing authorities on which businesses are eligible for support from the £1.5 billion business rate relief fund as announced on 25 March 2021.

Answered by Jesse Norman

Funding for businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic that have not otherwise been eligible for existing reliefs will be available once the legislation relating to material change in circumstance provisions has passed and Local Authorities (LAs) have established their own local relief schemes. The Government will support LAs to do this as quickly as possible, including through new burdens funding.

Formal guidance will follow in due course, setting out the specific considerations that Local Authorities (LAs) should have regard for when providing relief. Relief will be for LAs to award on a discretionary basis.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, when the £1.5 billion business rate relief fund, announced on the 25th March 2021, will be distributed to businesses.

Answered by Jesse Norman

Funding for businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic that have not otherwise been eligible for existing reliefs will be available once the legislation relating to material change in circumstance provisions has passed and Local Authorities (LAs) have established their own local relief schemes. The Government will support LAs to do this as quickly as possible, including through new burdens funding.

Formal guidance will follow in due course, setting out the specific considerations that Local Authorities (LAs) should have regard for when providing relief. Relief will be for LAs to award on a discretionary basis.