Non-Domestic Rating (Multipliers and Private Schools) Act

A vote to support means

• —Private schools receive targeted rate relief, reducing operating costs and potentially allowing them to lower fees, making independent education more accessible to middle-income families
• —Adjustable multipliers provide the government with a tool to support struggling sectors and businesses by reducing their property tax burden during economic downturns
• —Private schools provide education without drawing on state funding; rate relief recognizes their contribution to the education system and reduces the need for public subsidy
• —Lower business rates for qualifying properties can encourage investment and expansion in priority sectors without requiring direct government spending

A vote to oppose means

• —Private school rate relief effectively subsidizes education for wealthier families through the tax system, while state schools serving disadvantaged communities receive no equivalent benefit
• —Reduced rates on private schools shift the tax burden onto other businesses and ultimately taxpayers, potentially affecting small businesses and high street retailers already facing financial pressure
• —The precedent of using multipliers to provide selective relief to particular sectors raises concerns about fairness and creates opportunities for future lobbying by other industries seeking similar exemptions
• —Public funds are effectively diverted to independent schools when those resources could address significant underfunding in state education, the NHS, and public services