Written question asked by Steve Barclay (Conservative) on Thursday, 4 June 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 8 June 2026. It was answered by Stephen Kinnock (Labour) on Wednesday, 17 June 2026 on behalf of the Department of Health and Social Care.
Pharmacy: Closures
- Question
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To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the cost of extending equivalent business rates support provided to retail and hospitality to community pharmacies; and what assessment he has made of the potential impact of excluding community pharmacies from that support on pharmacy closures.
- Answer
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In the Autumn Budget 2025, the Government made hard choices so that we could protect the National Health Service in England and continue to prioritise reducing waiting times. Budget 2025 confirmed that annual NHS day-to-day spending will increase by £15 billion in real terms, which is a £29 billion cash increase, by 2028/29 compared to 2025/26.
Community pharmacy have been afforded support through the business rates relief for retail, hospitality or leisure. From 2026, this relief is being replaced by two lower business rates multipliers for properties with a rateable value below £500,000. We have also stepped in to cap bills and help businesses, as part of a £4.3 billion support package. For 2026/27 we increased funding to £3.6 billion, a 10% increase, recognising the essential role pharmacies play in supporting patients and the wider NHS.
Secondary information
- Type
- Written question
- Reference
- 6747
- Session
- 2026-27
- Related items
- Subjects
- Closures Pharmacy Business rates
- Contains statistics
- Yes
- Link
- View this Written question on www.parliament.uk
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Librarians' tools
- Timestamp
- 2026-09-28 10:09:14 +0100
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- http://data.parliament.uk/writtenparliamentaryquestion/commons/2026-27/6747
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