To ask the Minister of Finance and Personnel to detail the eligibility criteria for businesses to qualify for the Small Business Relief Scheme; and whether there are plans to extend the scheme beyond 2015.

The main eligibility requirement for the scheme is the assessed Net Annual Value (NAV) of a property and relief is paid automatically.

While the scheme has a general application across all business sectors, certain property types are not eligible, e.g. advertising hoardings, ATMs, car parks, etc. There are also exclusions in place for multiple property owners (banks, bookmakers, etc.) and for those already in receipt of an exemption (industrial derating, freight transport and sport and recreation).

In terms of award levels 50% relief is awarded where the NAV is £2,000 or less, 25% relief is provided where the NAV is between £2,001 and £5,000, and a property with an NAV of between £5,001 and £15,000 receives a 20% discount.

In relation to the future of the scheme, the Northern Ireland Centre for Economic Policy (NICEP) at the University of Ulster is currently carrying out a full evaluation of the scheme and is due to report findings and recommendations later this month. I will be quickly reviewing these recommendations to allow me to present my proposals on the future of the scheme to the Executive and the Assembly in October.