Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment he has made of the potential merits of providing 12 months business rates relief to airports in England and Wales in response to covid-19 pandemic.

Business rates policy is devolved. Decisions on rates in Wales are for the Welsh government. The Government has provided enhanced support through business rates relief to businesses occupying properties used for retail, hospitality and leisure.

A range of other measures to support all business, including airports, has also been made available, including the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme, the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme to help firms keep people in employment, and deferring Value Added Tax (VAT) payments. On 8 July the Chancellor set out a package of measures to support jobs across the UK, including a Job Retention Bonus to help firms keep furloughed workers and a new £2 billion Kickstart Scheme to create hundreds of thousands of new, fully subsidised jobs for young people.