Jane Hunt MP asked:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of extending the criteria for business rates relief for empty properties beyond three months when there has been a change of ownership.
The Rt Hon Jesse Norman MP, Financial Secretary to the Treasury, responded:
The Government maintains an Empty Property Relief (EPR) to support property owners between the reoccupation of vacated premises. The current structure of EPR strikes a balance between not penalising landlords who lose a tenant at short notice, while incentivising property owners and landlords to secure new tenants.
The fundamental review of business rates is considering all parts of the business rates system, including reliefs and any eligibility criteria.
