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

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the effect on investment in licensed premises of higher business rates on the licensed premises sector.

A £3.6 billion transitional relief scheme will provide support for the minority of properties which face an increase in rates as a result of the 2017 revaluation.

My Department is working closely with the Treasury to determine how best to provide further support to businesses facing the steepest increases. We expect to be in a position to make an announcement on this at the Budget, in just two weeks.

At Budget 2016, the Government announced a £6.7 billion package of business rate cuts. This included the doubling of small business rate relief and an increase in the thresholds for relief. As a result, 600,000 small businesses, including eligible licensed premises, will pay no rates at all.