Written question asked by Austin Mitchell (Labour) on Monday, 22 March 2010, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 25 March 2010. It was answered by Barbara Follett (Labour) on Tuesday, 30 March 2010 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 bring forward proposals for a moratorium on issuing of retrospective business rate demands on newly-assessed port companies.

Answer: [holding answer 25 March 2010]: There are currently no plans to introduce a moratorium.The Government have listened to the concerns of businesses with significant and unexpected backdated bills, including some within ports. They have 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