Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what discussions his Department has had with the Department for Housing, Communities and Local Government on protections for small businesses entering into commercial lease negotiations.

This policy is owned by MHCLG and in the Government’s Plan for Small Businesses, published in July 2025, we committed to supporting the Law Commission in reviewing the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954, part II, to ensure it is fit for today’s market.

Landlords and businesses have told government that the law has not kept pace with the reality of the sector today, stifling growth and productivity, and presenting a barrier to regenerating our high streets.

The Law Commission has therefore been commissioned to review this legislation with the objective of producing recommendations for a fairer and more transparent commercial leasing system.