To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the effect of business rates on small and independent businesses in Brighton and Hove; and if he will make a statement.
Answered on
5 November 2019
The Government has taken repeated action to reduce business rates for all ratepayers including small businesses. Reforms and reliefs announced since Budget 2016 are saving businesses more than £13 billion over the next five years. This includes making 100 per cent Small Business Rate Relief permanent, doubling the rateable value (RV) threshold for 100% relief to £12,000, and raising the taper for properties with a RV up to £15,000. This means more than 675,000 of the smallest businesses do not pay business rates at all, which is over one-third of non-domestic properties in England.