§ Jackie BallardTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will establish a rate relief scheme for small independent petrol retailers in rural areas. [139104]
§ Ms Beverley HughesOn 19 September, we published our Green Paper "Modernising Local Government Finance", in which we asked for views on whether the village shop rate relief scheme should be extended to certain rural petrol stations. This would provide 50 per cent. mandatory rate relief to singly owned petrol stations with rateable values below £6,000 that are located in designated rural settlements and provide a community facility or service which is not available elsewhere in the locality (for example, a cash machine or cashback facility) and up to 100 per cent. top-up relief. The consultation period ends on 8 December. We will make our decision on whether mandatory relief should be extended to rural petrol stations in light of responses to the Green Paper. All petrol stations with rateable values below £12,000 and located in qualifying rural settlements can already receive up to 100 per cent. discretionary relief if the local authority feels it is of benefit to the local community.