Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether it remains her Department's policy to (a) expand the definition of a Small or Medium Sized Enterprise to include companies with up to 500 employees and (b) consult on extending the threshold to businesses with up to 1,000 employees.

In October 2022, the Government extended the Small and Micro Business Assessment process to include a new test for medium sized businesses of up to 499 employees. This will help ensure that the impact of new and renewed regulations on these businesses are considered, and exemptions or mitigations applied where it is appropriate. There are no plans to extend the threshold further.