PMQT Written Answers – 20 March 1991

March 20, 1991 admin 1991, Uniform Business Rates

Below is the text of the written answers relating to Prime Minister’s Question Time from 20th March 1991.

PRIME MINISTER:

Uniform Business Rate

Mr. Gwilym Jones : To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the impact of the operation of the uniform business rate on (a) offices, (b) factories, (c) warehouses and (d) shops in Wales relative to England.

The Prime Minister : The uniform business rate poundage for 1990-91 has been set at 36.8p in the pound in Wales in order to raise broadly the same amount in real terms from private business and nationalised industries as in 1989-90. The same principle has been adopted in England.

The combined impact of the revaluation of non-domestic property and the introduction of the uniform business rate on the specified categories of property is shown in the tables :

Changes in aggregate rate bills<1>

between 1989-90 and 1990-91

Percentage change

Property type |Wales |England

——————————————————–

Offices |0 |12

Factories |-26 |-31

Warehouses |-17 |-22

Shops |21 |18

<1> After allowing for inflation as measured by the retail prices index and for appeals against valuation.

Change in rate bills by property type, England and Wales

Reduction (-) Increase (+) in rate bill, per cent.

England Wales

————————————————————————————————————————–

Factories |-31 |-9 |-22 |-26 |-1 |-26

Warehouses |-22 |-6 |-15 |-17 |+1 |-17

Shops |+18 |-1 |+19 |+21 |- |+21

Offices |+12 |+20 |-8 |- |+7 |-8

Other properties |+12 |-5 |+16 |+12 |- |+12

Changes in rate bills by property type, England and Wales

Reduction ( )/Increase ( ) in rate bill, per cent.

England Wales

Property type Overall change Net change on UBR Net change on revaluation Overall change Net change on UBR Net change on revaluation

Factories 31 9 22 26 1 26

Warehouses 22 6 15 17 1 17

Shops 18 1 19 21 — 21

Offices 12 20 8 — 7 8

Other properties 12 5 16 12 — 12