Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the cumulative impact of increases in (a) business rates, (b) wages, (c) energy costs and (d) animal feed costs on zoological collections.

The Department for Business and Trade has not made an assessment on the cumulative impact of these costs on zoological collections.

The Government is committed to supporting businesses and charities. To do so, the Government is introducing new permanently lower tax rates for eligible retail, hospitality and leisure (RHL) properties. This includes zoos and aquariums with rateable values below £500,000 that are open to members of the public. These new tax rates are worth nearly £900 million per year, and will benefit over 750,000 properties.

The Government published their full Impact Assessment for the 2026 rates, outlining the potential effects that increases to the National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage may have on businesses.

As well, Ofgem has launched a Cost Allocation Recovery Review to consider how energy system costs can be recovered from consumers, including businesses, in a fairer and more efficient way in the future energy system.