Non-Domestic Rating (Multipliers and Private Schools) Bill: Motion to disagree with Lords Amendments 15B, 15C, 15D, 15E

Parliament voted on 31 March 2025 to reject a set of Lords amendments to the Non-Domestic Rating (Multipliers and Private Schools) Bill that would have carved out exemptions from a new higher business rates multiplier. The Lords had proposed protecting healthcare premises, high-street anchor stores, and businesses with rateable values close to the £500,000 threshold from the higher rate. The Commons voted against those protections by 302 to 167, passing the government's motion to disagree. The vote matters because it settles the shape of a significant change to business rates in England. From April 2026, properties with rateable values of £500,000 or above will face a higher multiplier, intended to fund permanent lower rates for retail, hospitality and leisure businesses below that threshold. By rejecting the Lords amendments, the Commons confirmed that healthcare settings such as medical and dental practices, large anchor stores on high streets, and businesses just above the £500,000 line will all fall under the higher multiplier with no special treatment. Labour voted unanimously in favour of the government's position, joined by a small number of independents and Green MPs. Conservatives, Liberal Democrats, Reform UK, and the smaller Northern Irish parties all voted against. There were no notable rebels on either side. The Bill had already passed through multiple rounds of Lords-Commons disagreement, with the Lords inserting these protections and the Commons repeatedly removing them. This vote resolved that dispute in the government's favour.