Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of proposals in the Prudential Regulation Authority Consultation CP 16/22 on the Implementation of the Basel 3.1 standards on the ability of small and medium-sized enterprises to raise funds against their commercial premises, and if he will make a statement.

The Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA)’s, and HM Treasury’s, consultations on the Basel 3.1 standards closed on 30 March. This included the government’s proposals for deleting retained EU law including which relates to the prudential rules on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) raising funds against their commercial premises. The detailed implementation of the Basel 3.1 package is being delegated to the UK’s expert regulator, the PRA, and its consultation requested information from firms on specific measures, including those relating to SME lending. The government and PRA are currently considering the responses.

The government continues to work with the PRA and businesses closely to understand the impact of the proposed changes, including the impact on SME lending.