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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what progress he has made on ensuring that business rate relief is not used for second homes to avoid council tax in (a) rural and (b) coastal communities.

The Government believes it is right that owners of genuine holiday lets, many of which are small businesses, can apply for the relief to which they may be entitled. The Government has recently consulted on whether the criteria for deciding whether holiday properties are subject to council tax or business rates remains appropriate. We are currently considering the responses to that consultation before deciding next steps.