Written Question·Treasury·UIN 107996

Licensed Premises: Business Rates

Tabled: 23 January 2026
Answered: 2 February 2026

Question

Sir James Cleverly

Conservative — Braintree

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what criteria is used by the Valuation Office Agency to determine whether a licensed premises is assigned a special category code of a (a) pub or (b) bar.

Answer

Dan Tomlinson
The criteria for determining special category codes for pubs and bars is published in the Valuation of Public Houses Approved Guide 2023. Guide_to_Public_Houses.pdf