Pubs and music venues in England will be given a 15% discount on their business rates bills from April and will not see increases for two years, the government announced. Treasury Minister Dan Tomlinson said the £80m package was worth £1,650 for the average pub.It comes after a backlash against November’s Budget, which left many facing major increases in their business rates bills. Earlier this month, Chancellor Rachel Reeves said she was “particularly concerned” about the impact they faced and hinted there would be “additional support”. UK Hospitality has warned that hotels, restaurants and other businesses in the sector are also at risk, calling for the support package to be widened.Tomlinson said pubs are “the cornerstone of so many communities” and the government wanted to “go further” in supporting them.The government also promised to review how pubs are valued by the Valuation Office Agency (VOA), ahead of the next revaluation of premises in 2029.Shadow Chancellor Mel Stride dismissed the announcement and described it as a “sticking plaster”, asking: “Is this it?””After weeks of telling our local pubs that help was on the way, this is all they get,” he said.He said the measures would “only delay the pain for a while” before warning that “thousands of businesses despair as their bills skyrocket”.Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesperson Daisy Cooper said the financial aid still left pubs facing higher business rates bills, and it did “nothing at all” for other high street businesses.She called for the government to increase business rates discounts for all retail, hospitality and leisure businesses, and for an “emergency” VAT cut for the hospitality sector for a year.
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Pubs to get £80m support package after business rates backlash
