To ask the Minister of Finance for an update on the planned Strategic Rating Reviews for 2025-26.

The reviews for 2025/26 are for the Small Business Rate Relief and Non Domestic Vacant rating policy are already underway.

These will consist of three main elements:-

1.Desk based research on policy including comparative practice in other jurisdictions and taxbase analysis from the new 2025/26 data.

2.Formal engagement with stakeholders.

3.Surveying of business groups on policies.

This work will be conducted within my Department to allow policy proposals to be developed and consulted upon later in the year. This would facilitate any agreed legislative changes to be made by April 2026.

I met with a roundtable of business stakeholders on 6 May 2025 to outline my next steps for this area of work, and my officials have already met with key stakeholders to explain the format of the reviews.

I have met with officials and the formal Terms of Reference is in the process of being finalised and will be published in the coming days.