Questions Without Notice from Party Spokespeople

Part of 1. Questions to the Minister for Finance and Trefnydd – in the Senedd at 1:41 pm on 8 January 2020.

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Photo of Rebecca Evans Rebecca Evans Labour 1:41, 8 January 2020

Well, I'd start, of course, by suggesting that Darren Millar is wrong to suggest we have punitive business rates in Wales, because, actually, a larger proportion of businesses in Wales pay no rates at all than do across the border in England. And the place where we set our business rates really does reflect the fact that our average rateable value in Wales is different to in England. So, in England, it is around £50,000, and only £30,000 in Wales, so I think it is only right that our system reflects the different rateable values and the different picture that we have here in Wales.

In terms of land transaction tax, obviously we do have a different, higher rate for non-residential taxes. And those are for purchases of over £1 million. When you get to £1.1 million, the land transaction tax does start to become higher than stamp duty land tax. Of course, that rate was agreed by the Assembly when we voted on that. I think it's important to recognise that this is the first year of those particular rates, so we are obviously keeping a close eye on them, but we're also keeping a close eye on what is happening in Ireland and Scotland as well. Because we've all set out on different paths and we have no indication thus far that those rates are putting off businesses from locating in Wales, because, when businesses locate, it's for a multitude of reasons, one of which will be the land transaction tax, but, obviously, other issues such as skills and Government support for business will obviously be factors.