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Business Rates

Volume 458: debated on Tuesday 13 March 2007

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the average business rates bill was in (a) England and (b) each government office region in England in each year since 1996-97; and what she estimates it will be in 2006-07. (114720)

The average business rates bill (in £s) in both England and in each Government Office region in each year since 1996-97, including the estimated average figures for 2006-07, are shown in the following table.

North East

North West

Yorkshire and the Humber

East Midlands

West Midlands

East of England

London

South East

South West

England

1996-97

5,335

4,895

5,235

5,454

5,335

6,873

11,921

7,432

4,881

6,804

1997-98

5,501

5,215

5,381

5,716

5,686

7,026

10,057

7,208

7,087

6,796

1998-99

5,978

5,589

5,869

6,142

6,250

7,125

10,433

7,759

5,295

7,016

1999-2000

6,159

5,770

6,005

6,251

6,487

7,080

9,792

7,796

5,412

6,998

2000-01

6,968

6,825

6,954

7,237

7,588

8,096

12,033

9,212

6,332

8,264

2001-02

7,305

7,273

7,433

7,670

7,756

8,476

12,842

9,705

6,570

8,714

2002-03

7,498

7,646

7,664

7,846

8,003

8,685

13,753

10,045

6,658

9,071

2003-04

7,518

7,708

7,623

7,893

8,055

8,620

14,124

10,053

6,614

9,137

2004-05

7,701

7,793

7,773

7,955

8,192

8,740

14,484

10,252

6,662

9,301

2005-06

8,367

8,086

8,317

8,477

8,672

9,575

15,705

11,124

7,195

9,997

2006-07

8,892

8,789

8,731

9,221

9,041

10,085

16,561

11,804

7,624

10,601

The data are taken from NNDR returns submitted by billing authorities. Average business rate is calculated by dividing the net rate yield from local authority’s lists by the number of hereditaments on local list as at 31 December of the previous year.

Comparisons across regions and years may not be valid as the rateable values for individual properties, and hence actual rates bills, vary greatly. Changes in the figures for the years around 2000-01 are affected by transfers of properties from the central list to local lists, transfers of Crown properties to local lists and the adjustments made to the multiplier at the time of the 2000 revaluation to take account of losses from appeals. Changes in the figures for the years around 2005-06 are also affected by adjustments made to the multiplier at the time of the 2005 revaluation.