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Music Venues and Public Houses: Business Rates

Asked by Sir James CleverlyConservativeMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled Answered 20 April 2026UIN 124773

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what the Government’s working estimate is of the number of pub and live music hereditaments that will claim the pub and live music relief.

Answered by Alison McGovern

All 39,000 pubs and live music venues in England will benefit from the relief unless they are already receiving 100% business rates relief. This relief is awarded at the discretion of Local Authorities, who determine eligibility using guidance published by the Government and based on existing definitions. For the purposes of these figures the following Special Category (SCat) codes are assumed to be in scope: 014, 062, 070, 199, 226, 227, and 303. Hereditament counts by SCat are published in Table RVL_4_2 here: Non-domestic rating: change in rateable value of rating lists, England and Wales, 2026 Revaluation (compiled list) - GOV.UK.

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