Non-Domestic Rating (Multipliers and Private Schools) Bill: Motion to disagree with Lords Amendment 13B

On 31 March 2025, MPs voted by 301 to 167 to reject Lords amendment 13B to the Non-Domestic Rating (Multipliers and Private Schools) Bill. The amendment would have required the Secretary of State to review and consult on the real-world impact of the new £500,000 rateable value threshold, above which businesses face a higher business rates multiplier. The government's motion to disagree with the Lords passed comfortably. The practical effect of rejecting the amendment is that no statutory review of the threshold's impact will be required. The Bill creates a situation where a business with premises just below £500,000 in rateable value pays a standard multiplier, while one tipping just above it faces a significantly higher rate. Critics argued this could mean a business rates bill jumping from roughly £175,000 to £325,000 as a result of modest investment or expansion. By blocking the Lords amendment, the government resisted a mechanism that would have compelled it to gather evidence and consult sector experts before any further decisions on the multiplier structure. Labour MPs voted unanimously to reject the Lords amendment, with 261 Labour and 36 Labour and Co-operative members voting aye and none voting no. Every voting Conservative, Liberal Democrat, Reform UK, DUP, Traditional Unionist Voice, and Ulster Unionist MP voted no. Three Independents and all three voting Green MPs sided with the government. No notable cross-party rebels were recorded. The vote followed the same basic partisan pattern as other divisions on the Bill the same day, in which the government successfully resisted a series of Lords amendments on related concerns.