HM Treasury published its response to October’s business rates inquiry report this afternoon, which made a number of recommendations to fix what it described as a “broken” and “unfair system” that places greater costs on high street shops than online businesses.

The government has committed to implementing just one recommendation around making the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government available to work with local governments on discretionary reliefs.

Other recommendations, including reviewing all business rates reliefs, reforming the Valuation Office Agency and even bringing business rates in line with inflation, were rejected.