New Clause 2 - Exemption of equestrian enterprises from non-domestic rating
Rating (Agricultural Premises and Rural Shops) Bill
12:45 pm
Ms Hilary Armstrong (Minister of State (Local Government and Housing), Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions; North West Durham, Labour)
I am sure that the hon. Gentleman is right. He seeks not to help farmers diversify or maintain essential services in isolated rural communities, although he does want to deal with another serious problem that he and other hon. Members have sought to tackle. I appreciate his ingenuity and his commitment.
The issue of whether horse enterprises should be regarded as agricultural is being considered. I have discussed the issue with colleagues in the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, and their and our officials are reviewing the definition. The law is complex and straddles a range of legislation, and there must be a careful assessment of the implications. The hon. Gentleman will know that the subject requires detailed work.
I do not feel able to accept the new clause. However, I assure the hon. Gentleman that I understand the issues that he raises, and do not want to dismiss them out of hand. He talked about competition between an existing horse enterprise and a new one set up under the diversification proposals in the Bill. That is why I was cautious earlier about the purpose of the Bill, and was clear that we did not seek to provide a level of support that meant that already established businesses felt undermined by similar new businesses.
My Department and MAFF are discussing the issues that the hon. Gentleman raised to work out the most effective way forward. I assure him that those discussions will continue, although other events may take precedence. We want to see what we can do, as we know that several horse enterprises are in serious trouble, and we want to establish a regime that enables them to prosper. That is at the forefront of the minds of MAFF Ministers, and I have had extensive discussions with them recently. However, I cannot give the hon. Gentleman what he wants. I can assure him that the matter is under consideration in terms of general principles, but we do not think that we can fit it into the Bill.