Meetings

NDM8469 Welsh Conservatives Debate - Business rates relied

This page gives details of any meetings held which will, or did, discuss the matter, and includes links to the relevant Papers, Agendas and Minutes.

Note: Meeting Agenda can change at short notice. Particularly where future meeting dates are indicated more than a week in advance. Please check before planning to attend a Committee Meeting that the item you are interested in has not been moved.

Meeting: 31/01/2024 - Plenary (Item 12)

Welsh Conservatives Debate - Business rates relief

NDM8469 Darren Millar (Clwyd West)

To propose that the Senedd:

1.  Regrets that the Welsh Government is slashing business rates relief from 75 per cent to 40 per cent for the retail, hospitality and leisure sector in the 2024-2025 draft budget.

2.  Calls on the Welsh Government to reinstate business rates relief to 75 per cent for the retail, hospitality and leisure sector to support businesses and protect jobs.

Supporters

Joel James (South Wales Central)

The following amendments were tabled:

Amendment 1 Lesley Griffiths (Wrexham)

Delete all and replace with:

To propose that the Senedd:

1. Welcomes that, despite its budget being worth £1.3 billion less in real terms than when it was set in 2021, the Welsh Government’s 2024-25 Draft Budget:

a) provides a package of support for non-domestic rates worth £384 million;

b) limits inflationary growth in the non-domestic rates multiplier to 5 per cent; and

c) provides a fifth successive year of non-domestic rates relief for retail, leisure and hospitality businesses, building on the almost £1 billion of support provided since 2020-21.

If amendment 1 is agreed, amendment 2 will be de-selected.

Amendment 2 Luke Fletcher (South Wales West)

Add as new point after point 1 and renumber accordingly:

Further regrets the current UK Treasury funding settlement which takes no account of Wales's needs. 

Amendment 3 Luke Fletcher (South Wales West)

Add as new point at end of motion:

Calls on the Welsh Government to move away from non-domestic rates, publish a timescale for their work, and ensure a roadmap to transition out of non-domestic rates is provided as well as options for a new system.

Minutes:

The item started at 17.55

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

A vote was taken on the motion without amendment:

NDM8469 Darren Millar (Clwyd West)

To propose that the Senedd:

1.  Regrets that the Welsh Government is slashing business rates relief from 75 per cent to 40 per cent for the retail, hospitality and leisure sector in the 2024-2025 draft budget.

2.  Calls on the Welsh Government to reinstate business rates relief to 75 per cent for the retail, hospitality and leisure sector to support businesses and protect jobs.

Supporters

Joel James (South Wales Central)

For

Abstain

Against

Total

14

0

36

50

The motion without amendment was not agreed.

The following amendments were tabled:

Amendment 1 Lesley Griffiths (Wrexham)

Delete all and replace with:

To propose that the Senedd:

1. Welcomes that, despite its budget being worth £1.3 billion less in real terms than when it was set in 2021, the Welsh Government’s 2024-25 Draft Budget:

a) provides a package of support for non-domestic rates worth £384 million;

b) limits inflationary growth in the non-domestic rates multiplier to 5 per cent; and

c) provides a fifth successive year of non-domestic rates relief for retail, leisure and hospitality businesses, building on the almost £1 billion of support provided since 2020-21.

A vote was taken on amendment 1:

For

Abstain

Against

Total

26

0

24

50

Amendment 1 was agreed.

As amendment 1 was agreed, amendment 2 was de-selected.

Amendment 3 Luke Fletcher (South Wales West)

Add as new point at end of motion:

Calls on the Welsh Government to move away from non-domestic rates, publish a timescale for their work, and ensure a roadmap to transition out of non-domestic rates is provided as well as options for a new system.

A vote was taken on amendment 3:

For

Abstain

Against

Total

26

0

24

50

Amendment 3 was agreed.

A vote was taken on the motion as amended:

NDM8469 Darren Millar (Clwyd West)

To propose that the Senedd:

1. Welcomes that, despite its budget being worth £1.3 billion less in real terms than when it was set in 2021, the Welsh Government’s 2024-25 Draft Budget:

a) provides a package of support for non-domestic rates worth £384 million;

b) limits inflationary growth in the non-domestic rates multiplier to 5 per cent; and

c) provides a fifth successive year of non-domestic rates relief for retail, leisure and hospitality businesses, building on the almost £1 billion of support provided since 2020-21.

2. Calls on the Welsh Government to move away from non-domestic rates, publish a timescale for their work, and ensure a roadmap to transition out of non-domestic rates is provided as well as options for a new system.

For

Abstain

Against

Total

7

0

43

50

The motion as amended was not agreed.