Tue 27 Jan 2026 10.26 EST First published on Tue 27 Jan 2026 03.07 EST Share Treasury poised to unveil business rates support package ‘with focus on pubs' Treasury questions have moved on to business rates. Dan Tomlinson, exchequer secretary to the Treasury, said he will make a statement this afternoon on a “package of support in relation to business rates, with a particular focus on pubs”. This will come around 1.30pm GMT, after a statement from Matthew Pennycook, the housing minister, on leasehold reform. As previously announced, we’re introducing a support package with £4.3bn to support ratepayers seeing increases in their business rates, bills. In the budget, Rachel Reeves, the chancellor, announced a £4.3bn support package that included giving relief to businesses, intended to offset the end of a Covid support scheme that had reduced bills by 40%. However, this has not proved to be enough to offset a significant increase in property tax bills caused by the first revaluations of properties since the pandemic from April. Q: Joanna Watson runs hotels in Sidmouth, the Elizabeth Hotel and the Kingswood Hotel, and she’s essentially facing a 20% rise in her business rate costs. Joanna’s bills don’t reflect what she actually earns. They stay high all year round, even though there are months like in winter, when income completely collapses… Will he [Tomlinson] also consider the plight of hotels such as those in Sidmouth and say, we have considered the challenges that hospitality businesses and businesses on our high streets would face? Tomlinson said: That’s why we put in place the £4.3bn of support at the budget. But we do recognise that there are concerns as to how hotels are valued for business rates. And that will be one of the items that I’ll be talking about in the statement later today. Pubs to get £100m a year support after business rates outcry Read more