Question
At my business club in my constituency last week—before the Budget—businesses on the high street, including ones that will be well known to the Minister, told me about their concerns. They have not been assuaged by this Budget. What will the Government do to reduce the tax burdens on the hospitality and tourism industry, and when will that happen?
Answer
April 2027, as we announced at the Budget. As I set out in my earlier responses, to help businesses on high streets across the country we are making sure that all retail, hospitality and leisure properties in England get a real-terms two-year freeze in their business rates bills or see them reduced or cut to zero.
Verdict: GREEN (85/100)
The reply answers both parts of the question directly. It names a specific action for the hospitality and leisure sector: a real-terms two-year freeze in business rates bills, or reductions to zero for retail, hospitality and leisure properties in England. It also gives a concrete timing, April 2027, and ties the measure to the Budget announcement. The one small gap is that the link between the April 2027 date and the two-year freeze is implied rather than spelled out, so a reader may need to infer it.
How we got there
| Question item | Coverage | Specificity | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| What action the Government will take to reduce the tax burdens on the hospitality and tourism industry | Addressed | Direct | Statement 4 names a concrete action for the hospitality and leisure sector, a real-terms two-year freeze in business rates bills or reductions to zero for retail, hospitality and leisure properties in England, and statement 2 ties this to the Budget announcement. |
| When the Government will take the action to reduce the tax burdens on the hospitality and tourism industry | Addressed | Direct | Statement 1 gives a specific date, April 2027, and statement 2 places the measure in the Budget announcement, which together answer when the action will happen. The link between April 2027 and the two-year freeze is implied rather than stated outright, so confidence is slightly reduced. |