Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes to business rates liability from 1 April 2026 on participation in grassroots sport in England; and whether she has made representations to the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government on that issue.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

DCMS engaged extensively with HM Treasury in the run up to the Autumn Budget 2025 and provided evidence to HM Treasury on the anticipated impact to the sport and leisure sector.

The Government has announced a support package worth £4.3 billion to protect against ratepayers seeing large overnight increases in their business rates bills because of the revaluation.

In addition, the Government is introducing new permanently lower multipliers for eligible retail, hospitality and leisure properties, which are worth nearly £1 billion per year and will benefit over 750,000 properties.

As a result, over half of ratepayers will see no bill increases, including 23% seeing their bills go down, next year. This also means most properties seeing increases will see them capped at 15% or less next year, or £800 for the smallest.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many applications for judicial review relating to NHS service reconfiguration decisions in England were lodged in each year since 2015; and in how many of those cases permission to proceed was granted.

Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

Data on the number of judicial review applications relating to NHS service reconfiguration decisions in England — and the number in which permission to proceed was granted— is included within the official Judicial Review statistics published on the Civil Justice Statistics webpage: Civil justice statistics quarterly - GOV.UK.

These statistics are presented in broad categories and do not separately identify cases concerning NHS service reconfiguration.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many sites recorded in the NHS Surplus Land data collection since 2020 were previously used as community hospitals; and how many of those have subsequently been disposed of.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

We routinely collect National Health Service surplus land data and currently publish it on a bi-annual basis. The following table shows the NHS surplus land statistics by year, sorted by recorded surplus or potentially surplus land plots, and disposed plots, from 2020/21 to 2024/25:

For further information on how we define our data, the specific sites and type of infrastructure, including community hospitals, that were sold during these years is available at local integrated care boards and at the following link:

https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/nhs-surplus-land

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many sites were recorded in the NHS Surplus Land data collection in each year since 2020; and how many of those sites have subsequently been disposed of.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

We routinely collect National Health Service surplus land data and currently publish it on a bi-annual basis. The following table shows the NHS surplus land statistics by year, sorted by recorded surplus or potentially surplus land plots, and disposed plots, from 2020/21 to 2024/25:

For further information on how we define our data, the specific sites and type of infrastructure, including community hospitals, that were sold during these years is available at local integrated care boards and at the following link:

https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/nhs-surplus-land

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what estimate his Department has made of the number of hereditaments in England used wholly or mainly for community sport that receive (a) mandatory charitable rate relief, (b) mandatory Community Amateur Sports Club rate relief and (c) discretionary rate relief from local authorities; and what estimate he has made of the total value of relief awarded in each category in 2025-26.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Department only collects aggregate data on the rateable values and reliefs and does not collect data broken down by type of business. Forecast data for 2025-26 is published on gov.uk here.

Support for ratepayers facing increases in their business rates bills at the 2026 revaluation is provided by the Transitional Relief Scheme and the Supporting Small Business Relief Scheme. Transitional Relief caps the bill increases of all ratepayers and is calculated from a base liability of the 2025/26 bill before all other reliefs.

Supporting Small Business Relief calculates support from a base liability of the 2025/26 bill including eligible reliefs. For the 2026 scheme, those ratepayers losing some or all of their Small Business Rate Relief, Rural Rate Relief, 2025/26 Retail, Hospitality and leisure Relief, or 2023 Supporting Small Business Rate Relief will be eligible for the 2026 Supporting Small Business Scheme.

Further information on business rates reliefs can be found on gov.uk here.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what estimate his Department has made of the number of hereditaments used wholly or mainly for community sport in England that will see an increase in their (a) rateable value and (b) business rates liability from 1 April 2026; and what transitional arrangements will apply to those hereditaments.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Department only collects aggregate data on the rateable values and reliefs and does not collect data broken down by type of business. Forecast data for 2025-26 is published on gov.uk here.

Support for ratepayers facing increases in their business rates bills at the 2026 revaluation is provided by the Transitional Relief Scheme and the Supporting Small Business Relief Scheme. Transitional Relief caps the bill increases of all ratepayers and is calculated from a base liability of the 2025/26 bill before all other reliefs.

Supporting Small Business Relief calculates support from a base liability of the 2025/26 bill including eligible reliefs. For the 2026 scheme, those ratepayers losing some or all of their Small Business Rate Relief, Rural Rate Relief, 2025/26 Retail, Hospitality and leisure Relief, or 2023 Supporting Small Business Rate Relief will be eligible for the 2026 Supporting Small Business Scheme.

Further information on business rates reliefs can be found on gov.uk here.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what estimate his Department has made of the number and proportion of sports clubs and community sport facilities in England that will qualify for the retail, hospitality and leisure business rates multipliers from 1 April 2026.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Department only collects aggregate data on the rateable values and reliefs and does not collect data broken down by type of business. Forecast data for 2025-26 is published on gov.uk here.

Support for ratepayers facing increases in their business rates bills at the 2026 revaluation is provided by the Transitional Relief Scheme and the Supporting Small Business Relief Scheme. Transitional Relief caps the bill increases of all ratepayers and is calculated from a base liability of the 2025/26 bill before all other reliefs.

Supporting Small Business Relief calculates support from a base liability of the 2025/26 bill including eligible reliefs. For the 2026 scheme, those ratepayers losing some or all of their Small Business Rate Relief, Rural Rate Relief, 2025/26 Retail, Hospitality and leisure Relief, or 2023 Supporting Small Business Rate Relief will be eligible for the 2026 Supporting Small Business Scheme.

Further information on business rates reliefs can be found on gov.uk here.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate she has made of the cost of extending business rates relief beyond 31 March 2026 for premises used for community sport; and whether she has considered a sector-specific relief for grassroots sports clubs.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

Currently, properties which are wholly or mainly used for charitable purposes, including community amateur sports clubs, are eligible for charitable relief, which provides businesses with up to 80% off their business rates bills. Provision of further relief to charitable properties is at the discretion of local authorities.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many notifiable reconfigurations have been notified to his Department under Schedule 10A of the National Health Service Act 2006 since 31 January 2024; and how many of those related to the permanent closure, relocation or withdrawal of services from a community hospital site.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department has been notified of nine reconfigurations under Schedule 10A of the National Health Service Act 2006 since 31 January 2024, of which one related to community hospital’s provision of beds.

The Department has received a total of 70 call-in requests, relating to 21 individual NHS service reconfigurations, under Schedule 10A of the National Health Service Act 2006 since 31 January 2024. My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has not used the call-in power.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many requests to call in a reconfiguration of NHS services his Department has received under Schedule 10A of the National Health Service Act 2006 since 31 January 2024; and in how many cases he has exercised the call-in power.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department has been notified of nine reconfigurations under Schedule 10A of the National Health Service Act 2006 since 31 January 2024, of which one related to community hospital’s provision of beds.

The Department has received a total of 70 call-in requests, relating to 21 individual NHS service reconfigurations, under Schedule 10A of the National Health Service Act 2006 since 31 January 2024. My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has not used the call-in power.

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Liam Byrne (Chair); Dan Aldridge; John Cooper; Alison Griffiths;

Found: Bristol Central) Barry Gardiner (Labour; Brent West) Sarah Gibson (Liberal Democrat; Chippenham) Alison Griffiths

Submit Evidence (by 10 Apr 2026)

In this inquiry, the Business and Trade Committee will scrutinise the Government’s approach to economic engagement with China. In particular, it will assess the potential net benefits to the UK of deeper economic integration with China, and how these benefits compare to the risks that closer ties with China may bring.

Submit Evidence (by 12 Apr 2026)

Demand for critical minerals has grown rapidly in recent years. New technologies, including turbines and data centres, require more minerals than the older systems they replace. At the same time, global trade in these materials has become more fractured and competitive.

Submit Evidence (by 3 Apr 2026)

The Business and Trade Committee is launching an inquiry into Artificial Intelligence (AI) in order to better understand the opportunities and costs for businesses and the workforce, and to make recommendations on Government priorities.