To ask the Minister of Finance to detail the amount of rate relief (i) provided to large supermarkets during COVID-19 pandemic; and (ii) returned to date, broken down by supermarket business owner.

The table below lists the amount of rate relief provided to the four largest supermarket chains in response to the pandemic for the current rating year. All businesses in Northern Ireland benefitted from a four month rates holiday for April to July 2020. Properties selling food and household goods with a retail floor space of over 500 m2 were excluded from the 12 month rates holiday.

In addition to these specific support packages, on 31st March 2020 as part of my Budget announcement, I announced a reduction in the Regional Rate for all businesses equating to an 18% reduction on the 2019/20 rate.

(ii)No amount of rate relief discharged to the large supermarkets above has been returned to date.