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Consultations

Policy and Consultations:

2026 Consultations

  • The IRRV responds to consultations that are relevant to the membership and profession across all the Institute’s faculties. Most consultations of interest are issued by the UK national governments on legislative matters, but responses can be made to papers emanating from the private and non-profit sectors and from international bodies. 

    This work is undertaken under the guidance of the Law and Research Portfolio Holder.  Drafting is developed with the input of the  Institute’s Faculty Board members.  Issues being consulted upon can often span the interests of two or more Boards; it is a strength of the Institute’s responses that they reflect that wider professional viewpoint.

  • This Call for Evidence represents the next step in exploring how the reforms identified above could be taken forward, to further incentivise and increase investment. It seeks to gather more detailed evidence on how the business rates system influences business investment decisions.

    This evidence will be used to inform policy development and design.

    This Call for Evidence covers the following areas:

    • Chapter 2: Further information about you or the stakeholders you represent

    • Chapter 3: The role of business rates in investment decisions

    • Chapter 4: Transforming Business Rates: reforms to incentivise investment

    • Chapter 5: Valuations on the receipts and expenditure (R&E) methodology

    The consultation can be found at Business_Rates_and_investment_Call_for_Evidence.pdf

    Closing date for responses is 18 February 2026.

    The IRRV's response can be found here: Response_Business_Rates_and_Investment_Call_for_Evidence.pdf

  • The government is giving Mayoral Strategic Authorities in England the power to create local overnight visitor levies.

    They are seeking views on the design of the new power including: 

    • whether Foundation Strategic Authorities should also have the power to create overnight visitor levies
    • how any revenues collected should be used
    • the types of accommodation that will and will not be included
    • how levy rates should be calculated and the powers Strategic Authorities have to change them
    • what Strategic Authorities need to do to introduce a levy and to change it​
    • liability for the levy and how this will be assessed
    • the administrative framework for overnight visitor levies, including options to minimise regulatory requirements
    • equalities impacts​

    The consultation can be found at Visitor levy in England - GOV.UK

    Closing date for responses is 18 February 2026.

  • The Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Act 2025 establishes a modernised legislative framework to enable the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to more effectively identify, prevent, and reduce fraud and error within the social security system. Three draft Codes of Practice have been developed, to ensure the safe, effective and proportionate use of DWP’s new powers. To ensure appropriate governance and transparency in the exercise of these new powers, the DWP is committed to undertaking a public consultation on the proposed Codes of Practice developed under the Act.

    The consultation can be found at Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Act DWP Codes of Practice: Verifying Eligibility in the Welfare System, Obtaining Information and Recovering Debt - GOV.UK

    Closing date for responses is 27 February 2026.

  • The Scottish Government’s consultation on its statutory inputs into the Strategic Review of Charges for the 2027 to 2033 regulatory period: the Ministerial objectives and the Principles of Charging Statement.

    Scottish Water must lead in meeting climate challenges and ensuring resilient services for a growing and mobile population. To sustain performance and meet future needs, the Scottish Government recognises that investment levels and customer charges might need to rise. The Principles of Charging and Ministerial Objectives they are consulting on set the right foundation for this while continuing to ensure efficiency and value for customers.

    The consultation can be found here: Water services - investing in and paying from 2027: consultation - gov.scot

    The consultation closes on 30 March 2026.

  • The Independent Review of the Valuation of Licensed Hospitality has issued a call for evidence to help inform its considerations. The call for evidence invites respondents to provide information and research on the valuation methodology for the licensed hospitality sector for the purposes of non-domestic rates. 

    The success of the Independent Review will depend entirely on the quality of the evidence that it is able to consider, especially reliable evidence of market rental transactions for licensed hospitality properties. The Review implores all stakeholders to engage with this call for evidence and to provide all relevant material that they hold.

    The Chair of the Review has put in place procedures to ensure the protection of any confidential material that it receives.

    The Scottish Government, as Secretariat for the Independent Review, is issuing the call for evidence on behalf of the Independent Review. Responses should be sent directly to the Chair of the Independent Review at bjgill@amadvocates.co.uk or BJ Gill KC, Advocates Library, Parliament House, Edinburgh EH1 1RF.

    The consultation can be found here: Background - Licensed hospitality valuation methodology: Gill review - call for evidence - gov.scot

    The consultation closes on 16 March 2026.