Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the guidance, Business Rates Multipliers: Qualifying Retail, Hospitality or Leisure, of 30 March 2026, whether student union bars are eligible for the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure multiplier introduced in April 2026.

Local Authorities determine whether a hereditament meets the legislative definition of Retail, Hospitality or Leisure (RHL) and therefore qualifies for the RHL multiplier.

Full details of eligibility for the new multipliers are set out in the relevant statutory instrument (SI), which can be found online here: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2025/1093/contents/made with guidance to support in interpreting the SI found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/business-rates-multipliers-qualifying-retail-hospitality-or-leisure