Clause 56 - Duration of BID arrangements etc
Local Government Bill
2:45 pm
Mr Robert Syms (Poole, Conservative)
I have a similar point. Under subsection (4), I perfectly understand the Secretary of State having powers of termination, as the scheme would need to be wound up if it got into difficulty before the end of five years.
On alteration of the BID arrangement, a proposal can be made, voted on and implemented, yet the Secretary of State can unilaterally alter the arrangements on which that proposition is based. That might mean increasing the amount of tax that the businesses have to pay. Will the Minister say what he means by alteration in this particular clause? Are we talking about minor technical changes or about major changes that could alter the proposition on which people have voted?