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

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether his Department plans to review the current level of business rates for licensed premises.

Business rates are based on valuations from the Valuation Office Agency and we do not intervene in their independent assessments. We have put in place a £3.6 billion transitional relief scheme for England to support ratepayers at the 2017 revaluation. As part of the consultation on the transitional relief scheme my Department published analysis of the impact of the revaluation by sector and region.

www.gov.uk/government/consultations/business-rates-revaluation-2017

As regards the approach to valuing pubs, an Approved Guide for the Valuation of Public Houses for business rates has been agreed between the Valuation Office Agency and all 5 bodies representing pubs including the British Beer and Pub Association and the Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers.