To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will review the methodology for (a) calculation and (b) distribution of small business rate relief for the purposes of harmonising the mechanisms used in England and Wales. (266265)

A business is eligible for small business rate relief if its sole or main property has a rateable value of less than £15,000 (or £21,500 in Greater London); and each additional property it occupies, if any, has a rateable value of no more than £2,200; and the total rateable value of all of its properties is less than £15,000 (£21,500 in Greater London).

The current eligibility criteria targets rate relief to small businesses and excludes low value properties occupied by larger concerns so that small business rate relief is targeted on businesses that most need it.