To ask the Minister of Finance whether he has plans to cancel or defer domestic and non-domestic rates to reduce living and business costs during the cost of living crisis.

Given the ongoing absence of an Executive it is not legally possible for me to act unilaterality to take forward new legislation to cancel or formally defer rates bills for domestic or non-domestic ratepayers.

Such legislation would, as a minimum, require Executive agreement because these proposals could reduce the revenue that is required within central government budgets, or stop vital funding to Councils that rely upon rates as their primary source of income.