Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether she has had recent discussions with (a) hospitality and (b) retail stakeholders on business rates.

The subject of business rates, along with wider financial challenges, are regularly raised during individual stakeholder and roundtable calls. Industry concerns are shared across Government including Treasury.

Both the Hospitality Sector Council and Retail Sector Council have established working groups that are exploring issues to address key concerns, including costs to business. The Retail Sector Council submitted evidence to HM Treasury as part of a call for evidence into Treasury’s previous review of the business rates system.

At Autumn Statement 2023, the Chancellor announced a package of business rates support worth £4.3 billion over the next 5 years, for hospitality, retail and leisure businesses.