To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to his oral contribution of 22 February 2017, Official Report, column 1070, what the closing date is by which two-tier authorities in Dorset should apply to become one of the pilots for 100 per cent business rate retention in 2018-19; and what criteria will be applied in determining which applications are successful for those pilots.

We will be shortly be publishing details of the arrangements and timetable for the 2018/19 100 per cent business rates pilots and the criteria to be used in determining applications.