Written question asked by Austin Mitchell (Labour) on Monday, 9 November 2009, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 11 November 2009. It was answered by Barbara Follett (Labour) on Thursday, 12 November 2009 on behalf of the Department for Communities and Local Government.

Non-Domestic Rates: Ports

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will estimate the cost to the public purse of a two year business rate holiday for port businesses in (a) Humber, (b) Liverpool and (c) other ports which have recently become liable for business rates.

Answer: No estimates of the cost of a two year holiday for ongoing business rates for port businesses have been made. The information is not readily available centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.The review of ports by the Valuation Office Agency is to ensure that all individual business properties within and outside ports are rated fairly to ensure that the burden of contributions to funding local government is shared fairly among businesses around the country.The Government have listened to the concerns of businesses with significant and unexpected backdated bills, including some businesses within ports. It has legislated to enable such bills to be repaid over an unprecedented eight years rather than in a single instalment, helping affected businesses to manage the impact on their cash flows during the downturn by reducing the amount they are required to pay now by 87.5 per cent.As at 8 October 2009, local authorities have reported that ratepayers occupying 221 properties within ports had fully discharged their backdated liability and ratepayers occupying a further 200 business properties within ports had been granted a schedule of payments.

Secondary information