Clause 54 - Appeal against veto
Local Government Bill
2:30 pm
Mr Christopher Leslie (Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office; Shipley, Labour)
The drafting arrangements for provisions on allowing such an appeal and the effect of allowing the appeal placed those provisions under clause 55. However, whether they come under clause 55 or 54 is immaterial to our policy discussion. I have faith, as always, in parliamentary counsel on such matters.
Clause 54 provides that where the billing authority decides to veto a BID, any ratepayer who was entitled to vote in the BID ballot can appeal against the exercise of that veto to the Secretary of State. The clause confers on the Secretary of State the powers to make regulations regarding the timing of appeals, the manner in which an appeal is to be made, the procedure to be followed in connection with an appeal, and the factors to be taken into account when deciding whether an appeal is successful.—[Interruption.] I have a ringing in my ears, Mr. Conway, which suggests that perhaps I am taking too long to explain the clause.
Although it is important that the local authority has the power to veto proposals if it judges that a BID contravenes local arrangements of benefit to the community, it is equally important that businesses that invested time in securing a success in the BID ballot should have a right of appeal to the Secretary of State against the veto.