Business Rates: Humber Ports

Shona McIsaac
21. To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what her policy is on the retrospective levying of business rates in the Humber ports; and if she will make a statement.

John Healey
The review of ports by the Valuation Office Agency was to ensure that all individual business within and outside of ports are treated in the same way. In the current economic climate the Government understand it could be harder for businesses that are faced with significant unexpected backdated bills of more than 33 months from 1 April 2005 to discharge their liabilities, which is why legislation has been laid before Parliament so that businesses facing such bills in those circumstances will not be required to pay their backdated liability within the financial year at present, and will be able to do so in equal interest-free instalments over eight years.