Asked by: Caroline Dinenage (Conservative - Gosport)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the National Insurance Contributions (Secondary Class 1 Contributions) Bill on the night-time economy.
Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
A Tax Information and Impact Note (TIIN) was published alongside the introduction of the Bill containing the changes to employer NICs. The TIIN sets out the impact of the policy on the exchequer, the economic impacts of the policy, and the impacts on individuals, businesses, and civil society organisations, as well as an overview of the equality impacts.
Asked by: Kanishka Narayan (Labour - Vale of Glamorgan)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to tackle spiking incidents; and what support is being made available to local authorities and hospitality venues to improve prevention and victim support.
Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
Spiking is an appalling crime that undermines the people's right to feel safe when they are simply enjoying a night out.
The Government is currently delivering a range of measures to tackle this vile practice, specifically targeted at raising awareness, identifying perpetrators, and gathering evidence. They include:
The Home Office works closely with the hospitality and third sectors, as well as law enforcement to ensure that we are delivering measures on spiking which make it more difficult to carry out in the first place, that venues and the emergency services are proving the best possible response, and that victims are listened to and feel supported.
A wide range of spiking training, resources, support and advice options are available across a number of organisations, many of whom are referenced on the Government's spiking web pages or within our training package.
Asked by: Paul Kohler (Liberal Democrat - Wimbledon)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 24 March 2025 to Question 39774, what assessment she has made of the medium-long term impact of the closure of (a) grassroots and (b) cultural nightlife businesses on tax revenue.
Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
The Government is creating a fairer business rates system that protects the high street. That is why we have announced our intention to introduce permanently lower rates for high street RHL properties, with rateable values below £500,000, from 2026-27, which we intend to fund through a higher rate for high-value properties (those with a rateable value of £500,000 and above).
Ahead of these changes being made, the Government recognises that businesses will need support in 2025-26. As such, we have prevented the current RHL relief from ending in April 2025, extending it for one year to ensure that over 250,000 RHL properties see a full 40 per cent reduction on their liability, and we have frozen the small business multiplier. Taken together with small business rates relief, freezing the small business multiplier has protected over one million properties from inflationary bill increases.
To recognise the economic and cultural importance of British pubs, the government also announced a duty cut on approximately 60% of the alcoholic drinks sold in pubs. This represents an overall reduction in duty bills of over £85m a year and is equivalent to a 1p duty reduction on a typical pint.
Asked by: Andrew Cooper (Labour - Mid Cheshire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to help protect young people from drink spiking.
Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
Spiking is an appalling crime that undermines the public's right to feel safe when they are simply enjoying a night out. It can happen to anybody regardless of age, gender or sexuality. We are taking tough new action to prevent spiking incidents, ensure that victims of spiking receive enhanced protection and support when they are out and about - creating a safer night out for everyone.
The Government has introduced new legislation, as part of the Crime and Policing Bill, to strengthen the response to these appalling incidents.
We have also rolled out specialist spiking training for staff in the night-time economy to ensure they have the skills to detect possible spiking incidents, support victims who have been spiked and to support law enforcement with evidence collection.
Additionally, we are committed to supporting the Office for Students and Department for Education in implementing a new registration condition which, from August 2025, will require all higher education providers to implement policies and procedures to prevent and tackle sexual misconduct and other forms of harassment affecting their students; including all forms of spiking.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department is taking steps with (a) local authorities and (b) industry stakeholders to help increase the sustainability of (i) live music venues and (ii) other aspects of the night-time economy.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The government is urging the live music industry to introduce a voluntary levy on tickets for stadium and arena shows, to help safeguard the future of the grassroots music sector. We welcome steps taken by industry to set up a charitable trust to distribute funds from the ticket levy, and commitments made by artists to support grassroots music. DCMS will continue to work closely with the music sector and Arts Council England on the implementation of the industry-led ticket levy.
In addition, we are continuing to support Arts Council England’s (ACE’s) Supporting Grassroots Music Fund by providing £2.5 million funding in 2025-26, which provides grants to grassroots music organisations, including those that host or promote electronic music.
The government recognises the role of night time economy businesses in supporting resilient high streets, and we are focused on our five-point plan to breathe life back into Britain’s high streets, to ensure they are great places for businesses, and economic growth across the UK.
To protect the high street, from 2026-27, the government intends to introduce permanently lower tax rates for retail, hospitality, and leisure (RHL) properties with rateable values (RV) less than £500,000. To provide further support, the government has extended RHL relief at 40% for 2025-26.
Asked by: Paul Kohler (Liberal Democrat - Wimbledon)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of energy costs on nightlife businesses.
Answered by Gareth Thomas
We recognise the impact that high energy costs are having on nightlife businesses. Through the Clean Energy 2030 Action Plan, we are providing a foundation to build an energy system that can bring down energy bills for businesses for good.
To further support businesses including those in the night-time economy, Government is creating a fairer business rate system, reducing alcohol duty on qualifying draught products and our forthcoming Small Business Strategy will set out our plan for further supporting small businesses on the high street and beyond. We are also constantly testing our planning, regulatory and licensing regimes to ensure they remain proportionate and don’t unnecessarily burden night-time businesses.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the potential impact of changes to employers National Insurance contributions on independent nightlife; and if he will make representations on the potential merits of scaled National Insurance contributions based on turnover.
Answered by Gareth Thomas
We continue to work closely with HM Treasury on the challenges facing high street and other businesses including those within the nighttime economy.
The Government is protecting the smallest employers by increasing the Employment Allowance to £10,500, and removing the £100,000 eligibility threshold, meaning all eligible employers benefit. This means that in 2025-26 865,000 employers will pay no National Insurance Contributions at all, and more than half of employers will see no change or will gain overall from this package.
We are creating a fairer business rate system, reducing alcohol duty on qualifying draught products and transforming the apprenticeship levy to support business and boost opportunities.
Asked by: Clive Lewis (Labour - Norwich South)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on Spending Review funding for (a) grassroots music venues, (b) music education and innovation and (c) the night-time culture economy.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
My department talks to HM Treasury about a range of matters all the time, including support for the Creative Industries and music sector
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to ensure the continued operation of late-night venues in central London in relation to (a) business rates, (b) planning, (c) licensing; and what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of trends in the number of closures of (i) late-night venues and (ii) late-night venues for LGBT customers.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
The night-time industry plays an important role in high streets and town centres across the country. To help high street businesses, as set out at Autumn Budget 2024, we intend to introduce permanently lower tax rates for retail, hospitality, and leisure (RHL) properties, with rateable values below £500,000, from 2026-27.
We recognise planning and licensing decisions can impact the continued operation of late-night venues. The Licensing Act 2003 aims to strike the right balance between providing safeguards to prevent nuisance, crime and disorder, while recognising the contribution licensed premises make to thriving night-time economies. The National Planning Policy Framework is clear that existing businesses and facilities should not have unreasonable restrictions placed on them as a result of development permitted after they were established.
Research has indicated a decline in the number of night-time economy venues in the UK between 2018 and 2023. We are working with the Hospitality Sector Council to improve the resilience of hospitality businesses, including those operating in the night time economy.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to tackle spiking by means of injection.
Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
Spiking is an abhorrent crime and illegal in any form, whether through needle, food, drink or vape. The Government is committed, as per its Manifesto, to introduce a new criminal offence for spiking to help police better respond to this crime. It will be delivered in the First Session of this Parliament.
In addition, the Home Office is currently supporting a range of work to tackle spiking, including specific training for up to 10,000 people working in the night-time economy (which includes specific information on needle spiking) and testing the efficacy of commercial drug test kits.