Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate his Department has made of the number of (a) small, (b) medium-sized and (c) other businesses potentially affected by the judgment in the Mazars v Woolway case; what estimate he has made of the potential average extra cost on (i) small and (ii) medium-sized businesses resulting from the judgment in the Mazars v Woolway case; and if he will make a statement.

In July 2015, the Supreme Court, in the Mazars v Woolway case, clarified existing rating law relating to communal spaces such as staircases, corridors and lifts. The Valuation Office Agency (VOA) has a legal duty to adapt its practices to reflect the judgment.

The VOA assesses the value of property and not the businesses that occupy the property. As such, it does not hold information on whether the occupant of a property is a small or medium business.