To ask the Minister of Finance whether the phrase freezing the regional rate in his statement of 18 Janaury 2021 means that COVID-19 support will continue or that the rate set for 2020/21 will continue but without any COVID-19 reductions in place.

I announced on 18 January that the Executive intends to freeze both the domestic and non-domestic regional rates in 2021/22. This means that the regional rates set for 2020/21 will continue.

The COVID-19 reliefs put in place this year were applied to the rating liability on each property calculated after the regional and district rates were set. On 23 November 2020 I announced that I had set aside funding for additional business rates support in 2021/22 and I confirmed this in my draft budget statement on 21 January. Work is ongoing to determine how this support will be allocated.