To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of the increase of the minimum wage on small businesses which as a result of that increase will begin to operate above the VAT threshold.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what estimate his Department has made of the number of small businesses that will begin to operate over the VAT threshold as a result of complying with the new minimum wage.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect of the increase in the minimum wage on small businesses operating under the VAT threshold.

The Department has not made an assessment of the interaction between VAT thresholds and the minimum wage.

Businesses are only required to register for VAT when the total value of their taxable supplies of goods and services in the preceding 12 months exceeds the current VAT registration threshold, which was increased to £82,000 with effect from 1 April 2015.