Meetings

NDM8105 Darren Millar (Clwyd West)

To propose that the Senedd:

1. Regrets that Wales has the highest business rates in Great Britain.

2. Calls on the Welsh Government to take immediate action to reduce non-domestic rates to support businesses and protect jobs.

The following amendments have been tabled

Amendment 1 Lesley Griffiths (Wrexham)

Delete all and replace with:

1.  Notes the different non-domestic rates tax base in Wales, with a larger proportion of small and medium-sized businesses.

2.  Welcomes:

a)  the non-domestic rates relief Welsh Government provides to ratepayers every year, which means 44 per cent pay no bills at all.

b)  the £116m of extra support for retail, leisure and hospitality businesses this year to help them recover from the pandemic, providing up to 50 per cent relief on their non-domestic rates bills.

c) that, as a combined result of these reliefs, 70 per cent of non-domestic properties in Wales are receiving support with their non-domestic rates bills in 2022-23.

Amendment 2 Sian Gwenllian (Arfon)

Add as new point at end of motion:

Further calls on the Welsh Government to replace the current system of non-domestic rates with proposals for a new single land and property tax covering residential, commercial, and industrial land (with agricultural land remaining exempt).

The item started at 17.44

Voting on the motion and amendments under this item was deferred until Voting Time.

A vote was taken on the motion without amendment:

NDM8105 Darren Millar (Clwyd West)

To propose that the Senedd:

1. Regrets that Wales has the highest business rates in Great Britain.

2. Calls on the Welsh Government to take immediate action to reduce non-domestic rates to support businesses and protect jobs.

The motion without amendment was not agreed.

The following amendments were tabled:

Amendment 1 Lesley Griffiths (Wrexham)

Delete all and replace with:

1.  Notes the different non-domestic rates tax base in Wales, with a larger proportion of small and medium-sized businesses.

2.  Welcomes:

a)  the non-domestic rates relief Welsh Government provides to ratepayers every year, which means 44 per cent pay no bills at all.

b)  the £116m of extra support for retail, leisure and hospitality businesses this year to help them recover from the pandemic, providing up to 50 per cent relief on their non-domestic rates bills.

c) that, as a combined result of these reliefs, 70 per cent of non-domestic properties in Wales are receiving support with their non-domestic rates bills in 2022-23.

A vote was taken on amendment 1:

Amendment 1 was agreed.

Amendment 2 Sian Gwenllian (Arfon)

Add as new point at end of motion:

Further calls on the Welsh Government to replace the current system of non-domestic rates with proposals for a new single land and property tax covering residential, commercial, and industrial land (with agricultural land remaining exempt).

A vote was taken on amendment 2:

Amendment 2 was not agreed.

A vote was taken on the motion as amended:

NDM8105 Darren Millar (Clwyd West)

1.  Notes the different non-domestic rates tax base in Wales, with a larger proportion of small and medium-sized businesses.

2.  Welcomes:

a)  the non-domestic rates relief Welsh Government provides to ratepayers every year, which means 44 per cent pay no bills at all.

b)  the £116m of extra support for retail, leisure and hospitality businesses this year to help them recover from the pandemic, providing up to 50 per cent relief on their non-domestic rates bills.

c) that, as a combined result of these reliefs, 70 per cent of non-domestic properties in Wales are receiving support with their non-domestic rates bills in 2022-23.

The motion as amended was agreed.