Crime Prevention: Business Rates
The question
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the treatment of crime‑prevention measures, including CCTV systems, within business rates valuations on levels of business investment in security; and whether she plans to reform the business rates system to help support crime prevention.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson
Please refer to the previous answers to UIN 84492 and UIN 49676.
The Call for Evidence published at Budget sought further evidence on the role business rates and reliefs play in investment, including Improvement Relief. Transforming the business rates system is a multi-year process, and any reforms taken forward will be phased over the course of the Parliament.
Moreover, the Government is providing up to £7m over the next 3-years to support the police in tackling retail crime, including continued funding for a specialist policing team to tackle organised retail crime gangs and identify more offenders. This money will also support police-led work to strengthen policing and retailers’ joint response to retail crime.
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