Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate she has made of the burden of business rates on small and medium-sized businesses.

Recent trends in the rate of the business rates multiplier can be found at:

https://www.gov.uk/calculate-your-business-rates.

A number of reliefs are available to support businesses with their business rate liabilities. The eligibility criteria for them can be found on GOV.Uk. This includes the Small Business Rate Relief (SBRR) which provides 100% rate relief for eligible properties with rateable values below £12,000 with tapered relief available for eligible properties with rateable values between £12,000 and £15,000. SBRR means that over a third of the smallest non-domestic properties in England pay no business rates.

I am unable to comment on the Welsh business rates system, as business rates is a devolved policy area which means this is a matter for the Welsh government.