DLUHC launched a technical consultation on a set of technical changes needed to make to the Business Rates Retention System (BRRS) ahead of 2024/25. They are making these changes to the BRRS as a consequence of a provision in the Non-Domestic Rating Bill, which changes how business rates multipliers are calculated and applied.
DLUHC have been engaging with sector representatives to gather views informally over the summer and welcomed wider engagement with this formal consultation.
The consultation can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/technical-adjustments-to-the-business-rates-retention-system-in-response-to-the-non-domestic-rating-bill.
The consultation closed on 2 November 2023. The Institute’s response can be found at https://www.irrv.net/documents/weblinks/2023/11/IRRV-Response-Consultation-Technical-Adjustments-to-the-BR-Retention-System.pdf.
In February 2023, the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) published a consultation seeking views on the council tax valuation of Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs). This followed concerns from landlords and tenants that individual rooms in HMOs have increasingly been assessed as separate units for the purposes of council tax valuation and therefore given their own council tax band.
The government wants to provide greater certainty and consistency in the way that HMOs are treated for council tax, and to ensure that HMOs are banded as one property and have one council tax band. It also wishes to ensure that liability for council tax remains with the HMO landlord, and that their tenants are not subject to individual council tax bills.
The consultation sought views on proposed approaches to achieving these objectives. It closed on 31 March 2023 and the government has considered all responses received.
This document Council tax valuation of Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) - responses summarises views received during consultation and does not attempt to capture every point made. It deals with the questions posed in the consultation grouped by topic. It also sets out the government’s response to the consultation, including its approach to implementation.
This summary https://www.gov.scot/publications/council-tax-second-empty-homes-thresholds-non-domestic-rates-consultation-analysis/ sets out key themes from the analysis of responses to a public consultation on potential changes to Council Tax for second and empty homes, and thresholds for non-domestic rates for self-catering accommodation.
The consultation ran from 17 April to 11 July 2023. In total 981 responses were received, 73 from groups or organisations and 908 from individual members of the public.
The government is seeking views on amendments to the regulations that govern the recovery of fees that enforcement agents and High Court Enforcement Officers (formerly known as bailiffs) can recover when enforcing debts.
On 17 July 2023, the government published a review of the fees that enforcement agents (EAs) and High Court Enforcement Officers (HCEOs) can recover. The review announced the government’s intention to uplift those fees, following a consultation on a wider package of reforms about when the fees can be recovered.
This consultation seeks views on that package of reforms, which aims to ensure the sustainability of the enforcement sector, whilst tightening up the rules that EAs and HCEOs must follow to ensure that people in debt are given more opportunities to settle the debt at the earliest and cheapest stage possible.
The consultation can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/taking-control-of-goods-regulations-consultation.
The deadline for response is 4 December 2023.
This call for evidence seeks views from individuals and businesses on their experiences of non-statutory flexible working, including how it operates in practice.
Informal flexible working can benefit individuals and businesses alike. The Government wants to explore this further through this call for evidence. Views are sought from individuals and businesses on their experiences of non-statutory flexible working and how it operates in practice.
The first section of the call for evidence focuses on “ad hoc” arrangements. It includes questions on how and why individuals use this type of workplace flexibility, as well as questions about access and barriers to take-up. This section also contains questions for employers on whether, how and for what reasons they provide this type of flexibility.
The second section focuses on “regular” arrangements. It includes questions on whether and what arrangements employers offer and how and on what basis they are agreed.
The third section considers organisational approaches to non-statutory flexible working (which may be set out in a contract or be less formal), and includes questions on policies, supporting managers and monitoring and evaluation.
The call for evidence can be found at Call for evidence: non-statutory flexible working - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
Closing date for responses is 7 November 2023.
A library containing Institute responses to Consultations, Inquiries, Surveys etc. can be found at https://www.irrv.net/homenew/item.php?wid=20&iid=27305.
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