To ask the Minister of Finance and Personnel, pursuant to AQW 38673/11-15, what provision exists for owners of properties that are not located in areas where district rates are relatively low and therefore do not automatically qualify for the rate subsidy scheme, yet who’s rates increase disparately to others in the area.

The £30m Scheme agreed by the Executive provides transitional support for ratepayers to protect them from the immediate effects of the formation of the new larger councils. It is necessary because of the differences that have grown up over many years in the level of District Rates between the existing councils. The Executive is not intervening beyond that and each of the 11 new councils will independently set their own single District Rate. As always this will depend on their spending decisions, as is the case with the current 26 councils.

Regarding the effects of the non domestic Revaluation: some ratepayers will face increases, some will decrease and many will change little; it depends how sectors and locations have fared since 2001, the valuation date for the current Valuation List. This revaluation exercise is long overdue and has resulted in a redistribution of the rating burden. There are no plans to provide further support to those facing substantial increases due to the Revaluation. It is not a priority, it is unaffordable and it could be argued that such ratepayers have benefitted from the absence of Revaluation for many years.

The transitional relief schemes that applied at the last two non domestic Revaluations were directed at very small properties and since then the Assembly introduced the Small Business Rate Relief Scheme. During a consultation undertaken by the Northern Ireland Centre for Economic Policy and my Department this year support was expressed for extending small business rate relief next year instead of having a special transitional relief scheme for the Revaluation.