Asked by: Paul Holmes (Conservative - Hamble Valley)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to HMT Budget 2025: Policy Costings, November 2025, page 95, for what reason a policy costing is listed for council tax and fire authorities but not for other types of local authority.
Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
No policy changes were introduced prior to or at Autumn Budget for other types of council tax authority, so no additional policy costing notes were necessary.
Asked by: Paul Holmes (Conservative - Hamble Valley)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she plans to make further changes to business rate relief in 2026-27, further to the measures introduced at Budget 2025.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The amount of business rates paid on each property is based on the rateable value of the property, assessed by the Valuation Office Agency (VOA), and the multiplier values, which are set by the Government. Rateable values are re-assessed every three years. Revaluations ensure that the rateable values of properties (i.e. the tax base) remain in line with market changes, and that the tax rates adjust to reflect changes in the tax base.
At the Budget, the VOA announced updated property values from the 2026 revaluation. This revaluation is the first since Covid, which has led to significant increases in rateable values for some properties.
To support with bill increases, at the Budget, the Government introduced a support package worth £4.3 billion over the next three years, including to protect ratepayers seeing their bills increase because of the revaluation. As a result, over half of ratepayers will see no bill increases, including 23% seeing their bills go down next year. Government support also means that most properties seeing increases will see them capped at 15% or less next year, or £800 for the smallest.
Asked by: Paul Holmes (Conservative - Hamble Valley)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the Valuation Office Agency has (a) access to the data and (b) intends to makes use of the Department for Transport’s new Connectivity Tool when undertaking (a) council tax and (b) business rate valuations in (i) England and (ii) Wales.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Valuation Office Agency do not currently use the Department for Transport connectivity tool or data as part of our valuation work on Council Tax or Business Rates in England and Wales. They currently have no plans to use this data although they regularly review where new data sources can support their valuation activity.Asked by: Paul Holmes (Conservative - Hamble Valley)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what methodology does the Valuation Office Agency use to calculate the difference in a dwelling’s sale price and its assessed council tax valuation value for leasehold properties with less than a 99 year lease.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
I refer the hon member to the answer on UIN 99866, tabled on 15 December 2025.
The Valuation Office Agency values all domestic properties on the same basis and in line with legislation. Council Tax valuations are based on the value a property, offered for sale in an open market, could have been expected to meet at the antecedent valuation date (AVD), which in England is 1 April 1991 and in Wales, 1 April 2005.
Asked by: Paul Holmes (Conservative - Hamble Valley)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to HMT Budget 2025: Policy Costings, November 2025, page 44, what is the estimated effect on (a) rental prices and (b) house prices.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The independent Office for Budget Responsibility does not expect that the reform to property income tax will have a significant impact on rental prices or house prices.
Asked by: Paul Holmes (Conservative - Hamble Valley)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the answer of 11 December 2025, to Question HL12434, on Council tax: valuation, whether each of the property attributes in Question HL12434, are or were taken into account as a material consideration by the Valuation Office Agency during their valuations for the current council tax revaluation in Wales.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The variables used to determine valuations for the Council Tax revaluation in Wales include property attributes, locations and sales details. More detailed information on these variables can be found in the Valuation Office Agency’s model specification document.
Asked by: Paul Holmes (Conservative - Hamble Valley)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 17 December 2025 to Question 99189 on Private Rented Housing: Income Tax, whether her Department has made an assessment.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Office for Budget Responsibility engages with the Treasury on the potential impacts of policy measures as part of standard Budget processes.
Asked by: Paul Holmes (Conservative - Hamble Valley)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what was the average mean Rateable Value of a hereditament on the (a) 2023 Rating List and (b) 2026 Rating List, with the Valuation Office Agency's special category code of (i) 227 Public Houses/Pub Restaurants (Inc. Lodge) (National Scheme), (ii) 226 Public House/Pub Restaurants (National Scheme), (iii) 234 Restaurants, (iv) 238 Roadside Restaurants (National Scheme), (v) 409 Cafes, (vi) 500 Cafes/Restaurants Within/Part of Specialist Property, (vii) 060 Clubhouses, (viii) 061 Licensed Sports, Social and Private Members Clubs, (ix) 062 Coaching Inns and (x) 303 Bars (Valued on Floor Space).
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
Relevant data can be found here: Change in rateable value of rating lists, 2026 Revaluation
Asked by: Paul Holmes (Conservative - Hamble Valley)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how does the Valuation Office estimate the value of a garden when valuing a dwelling for council tax in (a) England and (b) Wales.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
Gardens are not valued separately or in isolation for Council Tax. They are reflected within a property’s overall Council Tax assessment.
Asked by: Paul Holmes (Conservative - Hamble Valley)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what is the statutory basis for the Valuation Office Agency to publish and share the council tax valuation list, and the banding of each dwelling, on gov.uk.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
Section 28(1) of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 provides the statutory basis for publishing and sharing the Council Tax valuation list.