Asked by: Luke Evans (Conservative - Hinckley and Bosworth)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent discussions she has had with the leisure centre and gym sector on the impact of business rates on the financial sustainability of that sector.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
At the Budget, the VOA announced updated property values from the 2026 revaluation. This revaluation is the first since the pandemic, which has led to significant increases in rateable values for some properties as they recover from the pandemic.
To respond to those who are seeing large increases, Government has already acted to limit increases in bills, announcing a support package worth £4.3 billion package at the Budget.
The Government is also introducing new permanently lower tax rates for eligible retail, hospitality and leisure (RHL) properties. These new tax rates are worth nearly £1 billion per year and will benefit over 750,000 properties.
The Government published information on the effects of the changes to business rates made at Budget 2025 here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/effects-of-the-business-rates-retail-hospitality-and-leisure-multipliers-and-high-value-multiplier/effects-of-the-business-rates-retail-hospitality-and-leisure-multipliers-and-high-value-multiplier#multipliers
Asked by: Luke Evans (Conservative - Hinckley and Bosworth)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of business rates on the sustainability of the leisure centre and gym sector.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
At the Budget, the VOA announced updated property values from the 2026 revaluation. This revaluation is the first since the pandemic, which has led to significant increases in rateable values for some properties as they recover from the pandemic.
To respond to those who are seeing large increases, Government has already acted to limit increases in bills, announcing a support package worth £4.3 billion package at the Budget.
The Government is also introducing new permanently lower tax rates for eligible retail, hospitality and leisure (RHL) properties. These new tax rates are worth nearly £1 billion per year and will benefit over 750,000 properties.
The Government published information on the effects of the changes to business rates made at Budget 2025 here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/effects-of-the-business-rates-retail-hospitality-and-leisure-multipliers-and-high-value-multiplier/effects-of-the-business-rates-retail-hospitality-and-leisure-multipliers-and-high-value-multiplier#multipliers
Asked by: Matt Vickers (Conservative - Stockton West)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of property-based business taxation, such as business rates, on business investment and productivity.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Call for Evidence on business rates and investment closed on 18 February. It asked stakeholders for more detailed evidence on how the business rates system influences investment decisions, with questions on the business rates system’s tax structure, small business rates relief, improvement relief and empty property relief.
The Government is carefully considering representations we’ve received, and a response to the Call for Evidence will be published in due course.
Asked by: Matt Vickers (Conservative - Stockton West)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she plans to review the long-term structure of business rates in England.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Call for Evidence on business rates and investment closed on 18 February. It asked stakeholders for more detailed evidence on how the business rates system influences investment decisions, with questions on the business rates system’s tax structure, small business rates relief, improvement relief and empty property relief.
The Government is carefully considering representations we’ve received, and a response to the Call for Evidence will be published in due course.
Asked by: James Cleverly (Conservative - Braintree)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many pubs with special category code (a) 226 and (b) 227 were on the Rating List (a) in July 2024 and (b) the most recent period for which figures are held, in each local authority area.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Valuation Office Agency publishes data relating to your request annually, in the NDR stock of properties which can be found here.
Asked by: Luke Evans (Conservative - Hinckley and Bosworth)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will have discussions with the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on the impact of business rate costs on the ability of the gym and leisure centre sector to provide services for the health and wellbeing of communities.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
At the Budget, the VOA announced updated property values from the 2026 revaluation. This revaluation is the first since the pandemic, which has led to significant increases in rateable values for some properties as they recover from the pandemic.
To respond to those who are seeing large increases, Government has already acted to limit increases in bills, announcing a support package worth £4.3 billion package at the Budget.
The Government is also introducing new permanently lower tax rates for eligible retail, hospitality and leisure (RHL) properties. These new tax rates are worth nearly £1 billion per year and will benefit over 750,000 properties.
The Government published information on the effects of the changes to business rates made at Budget 2025 here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/effects-of-the-business-rates-retail-hospitality-and-leisure-multipliers-and-high-value-multiplier/effects-of-the-business-rates-retail-hospitality-and-leisure-multipliers-and-high-value-multiplier#multipliers
Asked by: Luke Evans (Conservative - Hinckley and Bosworth)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will introduce updated guidance for the inclusion of community and independent gym and leisure facilities within RHL relief categories.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
At the Budget, the VOA announced updated property values from the 2026 revaluation. This revaluation is the first since the pandemic, which has led to significant increases in rateable values for some properties as they recover from the pandemic.
To respond to those who are seeing large increases, Government has already acted to limit increases in bills, announcing a support package worth £4.3 billion package at the Budget.
The Government is also introducing new permanently lower tax rates for eligible retail, hospitality and leisure (RHL) properties. These new tax rates are worth nearly £1 billion per year and will benefit over 750,000 properties.
The Government published information on the effects of the changes to business rates made at Budget 2025 here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/effects-of-the-business-rates-retail-hospitality-and-leisure-multipliers-and-high-value-multiplier/effects-of-the-business-rates-retail-hospitality-and-leisure-multipliers-and-high-value-multiplier#multipliers
Asked by: James Cleverly (Conservative - Braintree)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 20 February 2026 to Question 111693 on Business Rates: Valuation, on how many occasions estimates were provided by the Valuation Office Agency to Ministers between 1 April 2024 and the publication of the draft Rating List.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The VOA provided five data drops from 1 April 2024 to the publication of the draft rating list.
Asked by: James Cleverly (Conservative - Braintree)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many Valuation Office Agency staff were assigned to the council tax revaluation in Wales.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
Resource on preparations for the 2028 Council Tax revaluation in Wales has ranged from between 56 to 68 Full Time Equivalent staff in recent years.
Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to her Department's press release entitled Joint statement from Finland, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom on joint defence financing and procurement, published on 17 March 2026, whether the new finance mechanism will be used to stockpile munitions.
Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
The mechanism the Chancellor announced on 17 March will increase the availability of munitions and other critical capabilities when we need them most.
Similar to other international financial institutions, we expect that capital will be paid in based on countries’ GDP share, and that this will leverage many multiples more capital via private sector funding. The precise set-up is now being explored, and HMT and MOD are working together with finance and defence ministries across partner countries.