Business rates raise £25 billion in England annually, and are an important source of funding for key local services.<\/p>
<\/p>
The Government concluded a fundamental review of business rates in 2016. Some respondents suggested alternative taxes, but there was no consensus and respondents were clear that these alternatives were not without their own issues.<\/p>
<\/p>
Respondents agreed that property based taxes were easy to collect, difficult to avoid, stable and clearly linked with local authority spending. Following stakeholder responses, the Government decided to keep business rates as a property tax.<\/p>
<\/p>
To support the high street, at Budget 2018 the Government announced Our Plan for the High Street \u2013 a package of support worth £1.6 billion.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3935", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Mel Stride"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Central Devon"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Mel Stride"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-04-24", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-04-24T12:04:06.28Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "14"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Treasury"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Treasury"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2019-04-11", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Non-domestic Rates"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of replacing business rates with a transaction tax on retail sales in order to support the UK's high streets.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1436", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Paul Farrelly"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Newcastle-under-Lyme"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Paul Farrelly"} ], "uin" : "244033"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1121474", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1121474/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The current 2013 Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Regulations require producers to pay for the environmentally sound collection, treatment and recycling of electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) when it becomes waste.<\/p>
<\/p>
Producers are set annual WEEE collection targets and finance the full cost of collection and proper treatment of household WEEE, including costs incurred by local authorities, which in turn must enable householders to deposit WEEE for recycling at household waste recycling centres.<\/p>
<\/p>
Retailers of EEE are required to either offer a like for like in-store take back upon sale of a new item of EEE or to provide funding support for local authorities to support collection, recycling and reuse of WEEE.<\/p>
<\/p>
The Government funds guidance for householders, including a postcode search function for UK WEEE disposal locations, available at: www.recyclenow.com<\/a>.<\/p> <\/p> Any producers that fail to meet their household WEEE collection target are required to contribute to a fund which provides further support to local authorities to support increased WEEE collections, leading to higher levels of recycling and reuse of unwanted WEEE.<\/p> <\/p> As laid out in our ambitious Resources and Waste Strategy, the Government will consult on reforms to the WEEE producer responsibility regime to drive more sustainable product design and further increase recycling rates by the end of 2020.<\/p> <\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4098", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Suffolk Coastal"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Dr Thérèse Coffey"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-04-24", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-04-24T12:00:41.06Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "13"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Environment, Food and Rural Affairs"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Environment, Food and Rural Affairs"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2019-04-11", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Electronic Equipment: Recycling"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department has taken to ensure that all household e-waste is recycled.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1436", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Paul Farrelly"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Newcastle-under-Lyme"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Paul Farrelly"}
], "uin" : "244034"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1121542", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1121542/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the Rt. Hon. Member for Birkenhead, Frank Field, on 23 April, PQ 243353.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4098", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Suffolk Coastal"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Dr Thérèse Coffey"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-04-24", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-04-24T13:00:36.563Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "13"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Environment, Food and Rural Affairs"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Environment, Food and Rural Affairs"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2019-04-11", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Birds: Conservation"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department is issuing guidelines to local authorities on the use of mesh netting which prevents birds from nesting.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1436", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Paul Farrelly"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Newcastle-under-Lyme"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Paul Farrelly"}
], "uin" : "244035"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1111101", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department of Health and Social Care"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1111101/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " The Department has made no estimate of the number of National Health Service prescriptions for cannabis-based products in which delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the dominant ingredient.<\/p> <\/p> NHS England is using extant systems to monitor use of the newly rescheduled unlicensed cannabis-based products for medicinal use in England. In England, these systems monitor the number of items dispensed and associated costs in primary care and the volume of products used and associated cost in secondary care. NHS England Controlled Drug Accountable Officers are also collecting local intelligence in both the NHS and independent sector.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4455", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Seema Kennedy"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "South Ribble"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Seema Kennedy"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-04-17", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "previousAnswerVersion" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1111101/answer/previousversion/114110", "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4455", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Seema Kennedy"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "South Ribble"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Seema Kennedy"}
}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-04-17T11:49:19.043Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "17"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2019-04-10", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Cannabis: Medical Treatments"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent estimate his Department has made of the number of NHS prescriptions for medicine in which THC is the dominant ingredient.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1436", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Paul Farrelly"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Newcastle-under-Lyme"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Paul Farrelly"}
], "uin" : "243361"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1111102", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Education"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1111102/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " The Department does not collect information about how many schools use crowdfunding to raise money for supplies. Schools\u2019 financial returns show that income from donations and voluntary funds has remained steady at about 0.7% of schools\u2019 overall budgets since 2011-12.<\/p> <\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/111", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Nick Gibb"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Bognor Regis and Littlehampton"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Nick Gibb"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-04-23", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-04-23T07:25:36.717Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "60"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Education"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Education"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2019-04-10", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Schools: Crowdfunding"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what information his Department holds on schools in England using crowdfunding to raise money for supplies.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1436", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Paul Farrelly"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Newcastle-under-Lyme"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Paul Farrelly"}
], "uin" : "243362"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1111111", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1111111/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " As the Clean Growth Strategy clearly sets out, we remain firmly committed to carbon pricing as an emissions reduction tool whilst ensuring energy and trade intensive businesses are appropriately protected from any detrimental impacts on competitiveness.<\/p> <\/p> Carbon pricing is an effective tool to reduce emissions through the market. Cap-and-trade guarantees that emissions targets are met and emissions reductions take place where it is most cost-effective to do so.<\/p> <\/p> The EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) has been instrumental in driving the adoption of emissions trading systems worldwide. While the EU ETS remains the world\u2019s first and largest cap-and-trade system, similar systems exist or are in development across the world including in California, Quebec, New Zealand, South Korea and China. The EU ETS is on course to achieve emissions reductions of 21% by 2020 against 2005 levels in the traded sector in line with agreed EU targets.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3974", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Claire Perry"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Devizes"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Claire Perry"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-04-23", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-04-23T16:28:30.057Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "201"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2019-04-10", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Carbon Emissions: EU Emissions Trading Scheme"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether carbon trading remains a valid approach to controlling carbon dioxide pollution.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1436", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Paul Farrelly"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Newcastle-under-Lyme"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Paul Farrelly"}
], "uin" : "243363"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1111153", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1111153/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " The Environment Agency has published an evaluation of the effect of additional funding on tackling waste crime, identifying £5 worth of potential benefits for each £1 invested. This included an estimated environmental cost of £1.86-£1.88 per tonne of waste on illegal waste sites.<\/p> <\/p> www.gov.uk/government/publications/waste-crime-interventions-and-evaluation<\/a><\/p> <\/p> Additionally, Rethinking Waste Crime, published by the Environmental Services Association in 2017, estimated the economic impact of waste crime in England at over £600 million. This includes wider economic impacts and is not limited to environmental costs.<\/p> <\/p>