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Non-Domestic Rates: Ports

Volume 487: debated on Monday 2 February 2009

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will publish the new business rate valuation lists for British ports. (251827)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Bromley and Chislehurst (Robert Neill) on 30 October 2008, Official Report, column 1283W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the merits of applying transitional relief to lower retrospective increases in business rates levied on businesses in the registered ports. (253244)

The current transitional relief scheme allows properties which first came on to the rating list on 1 April 2005 as a consequence of an existing property being split (as is the case with the property in ports) to be allocated a certified rateable value for 31 March 2005 (see regulation 17 of the Non-Domestic Rating (Chargeable Amounts) (England) Regulations 2004.

The purpose of the certified value is to ascertain whether the increase in the rateable value of property which has been split or merged from the 2000 to the 2005 rating lists results in an increase in rates in respect of that property and therefore to ascertain whether there should be an entitlement to transitional relief.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the statement of the Minister for Local Government of 19 January 2009, Official Report, column 600, (1) whether changes to the ratings system of businesses in the registered ports will be revenue-neutral; (253471)

(2) what the estimated increase in net revenue in business rates from the changes to rateable values made over the 2005 to 2009 period is; and whether the revenue was taken into account in the business rate revenue estimates prepared for the pre-Budget report 2008.

The purpose of the review is not to raise revenue but to ensure that all rateable property pays its fair amount of rates, from the point the property should be rated, and with all businesses being treated equally.

Individual changes in rateable values of the ports and businesses within the ports are variable; some have increased while others have decreased. I am unable to be specific about the effect on revenue, as calculation of bills and any reliefs that may be due, are matter for individual billing authorities. However, the estimated cost of the Schedule of payments policy allowing certain backdated liabilities to be spread over eight years was set out in the pre-Budget report.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the statement of the Minister for Local Government of 19 January 2009, Official Report, column 600, whether the £9 million increase in net rateable value was set as an international objective of the change in the way in which rates on businesses in the registered ports are calculated. (253473)

No. The intention was to ensure that all rateable property pays its fair amount of rates, from the point the property should be rated, and with all businesses being treated equally.