Part of 1. Questions to the Minister for Finance and Trefnydd – in the Senedd at 1:59 pm on 30 January 2019.
Thank you very much for that question. Of course, fairness is our No. 1 principle in the tax principles that are guiding us in terms of the development of our tax policy in Wales. I can confirm that I do intend to consult over the next 12 months on proposals to place independent schools and private hospitals on an equal footing with their public sector counterparts in respect of the payment of non-domestic rates. The consultation will consider removing charitable rate relief from private schools and private hospitals where they're registered as charities. State schools and hospitals, of course, are obliged to pay non-domestic rates, as are all other ratepayers, and this is an important contribution to the cost of the vital local services that are delivered in our communities. So, this brings in the question of equality, which you've mentioned, alongside fairness—if we do change the eligibility of these institutions as a result of the consultation, it will put them on an equal footing with the state schools and hospitals.