§ Mr. David HeathTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of the effects of the uniform business rate on small businesses. [61305]
§ Mr. RaynsfordIn 1995 my Department published a research report "The Impact of Rates on businesses" which indicated that rates were a significantly greater burden for small businesses—those with turnovers of under £100,000—than for larger businesses. As stated in our White Paper "Modern Local Government: In Touch with the People", we are discussing with business representatives the details of a possible scheme to reduce this burden on small businesses.