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

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether his Department plans to bring forward legislative proposals to reform the law in relation to business rates to assist businesses in town centres.

The Chancellor published the final report of the Business Rates Review at Autumn Statement 2021. The Government will bring forward legislation to implement the conclusions of the Review as soon as Parliamentary time allows. At the Autumn Statement on 17 November 2022, the Chancellor announced a further package of business rates measures worth £13.6 billion over the next five years.

The package includes a retail, hospitality and leisure scheme that will provide a 75% relief to eligible properties in 2023/24, up to £110,000 per business. This scheme alone will provide £2.1 billion of taxpayer subsidy to high streets and town centres.