Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what fiscal steps she is taking to support hospitality businesses with energy costs.

By building a diverse low carbon energy system, the government is taking the long term decisions that will make the most of our abundant natural resources to protect businesses from future price shocks. To support businesses now, the government is offering free carbon foot printing and energy-saving support to 615 small and medium-sized hospitality businesses as part of a 12-month trial.

More broadly, we are determined to support retail businesses to succeed against a difficult economic backdrop. We will introduce a permanently lower business rates multipliers for retail, hospitality, and leisure (RHL) properties with rateable values below £500,000 from 2026-27. Ahead of this being introduced, we extended the RHL relief for 2025-26 at 40 per cent up to a cash cap of £110,000 per business and froze the small business multiplier.

In addition, we:

• increased the Employment Allowance to £10,500; shielding the smallest retail businesses the from the impact of the increase to employer National Insurance;
• established the Licensing Taskforce and issued a call for evidence on a National Licensing Policy Framework which will set out national direction for licensing authorities to consider economic growth and cultural value;
• introduced the English Devolution Bill, which will protect hospitality businesses from upward only rent clauses, and;
• are introducing a strong new ‘Community Right to Buy’ to help communities safeguard valued community assets – such as pubs.