Written question asked by Lord Bates (Conservative), in the House of Lords. It was answered by Lord McKenzie of Luton (Labour) on Wednesday, 10 February 2010.

Ports: Business Rates

Question: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the Valuation Office Agency regarding a possible payment holiday in respect of the backdated element of port-side operators' business rates.

Answer: The Valuation Office Agency is responsible for assessing all non-domestic property in England and Wales and for giving each one a rateable value. The local authority is responsible for using the rateable value to calculate the rates bill for applying any discounts or reliefs and collecting the money. The Government have had no discussions with the VOA concerning a possible payment holiday. 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%.

Secondary information