Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make it his policy to extend business rates relief to grassroots music venues.

At Autumn Statement 2022, an extended Retail, Hospitality and Leisure (RHL) relief worth £2.1 billion was announced for 2023-24. The relief provides a 75% discount for eligible RHL properties, including music venues, up to a cash-cap of £110,000 per business.

Grassroots music venues will also have benefitted from the decision to freeze the multiplier for a further year. This was a tax cut worth £9.3 billion to businesses over the next five years, and means all bills are 6% lower, before any reliefs or supplements are applied, than without the freeze.