Ministers are to consider automatic payment of business rate relief, a move welcomed by the Federation of Small Businesses. Following a parliamentary debate in Westminster on 6 March, Peter Luff withdrew his private member's Bill on the issue ‘in anticipation of the Government announcing a package of measures to support small businesses, including automatic payment of small business rate relief'. Since 2005, small businesses in England have been entitled to claim up to 50% rate relief from their local authority for premises with a rateable value of up to £21,500. But research suggests £400m rate relief goes unclaimed each year. TheWelsh Assembly Government has already agreed to provide automatic rate relief to qualifying businesses, and Westminster is now looking to follow suit. FSB chairman, John Wright, said: ‘Making [rate relief] automatic will make all the difference to small firms which may be struggling with their cashflow at this difficult economic time.'