MPs renew efforts for fairer business rates for pubs
Conservative MP Morris is pushing for a debate in Westminster Hall at the House of Commons, asking for pub business rates to be calculated in a fairer manner. It comes after he put a written question to the House in June, asking the Chancellor of the Exchequer to “harmonise” business rates for pubs to “the normal ground rates applicable to other small business premises”.
However, David Gauke MP, exchequer secretary to the Treasury failed to respond to the question, simply claiming that all business rates are worked out on rental value and that the calculation is fair for pubs.
Morris said: “Having received representations from my constituents earlier in the year and a response from the minister, I will be asking the parliamentary authorities for a Westminster Hall debate. This gives MPs an opportunity to debate the issue in depth.”
The Valuation Office Agency uses the fair maintainable trade (FMT) valuation method to calculate the rateable value (RV) of pubs. It uses actual rent and turnover figures from pubs to arrive at FMT.
Munt, who is a Liberal Democrat MP and private parliamentary secretary to business secretary Vince Cable, is pushing for fairer business rates for small businesses by introducing a Private Members’ Bill. She thinks that if business rates for the largest employers were increased by a single percentage point, then this could remove the burden of business rates from some smaller businesses altogether.
She told the PMA: “While only a minority of Private Members’ Bills become law, they are useful as they create a buzz around about the subject. They also send a clear message to the Government that the bill has support. This simple tweak to the current unfair policy could do so much to help breathe life back into our high streets.”
