New Clause 2
Planning-gain Supplement (Preparations) Bill
5:00 pm
Mark Francois (Shadow Minister, Treasury; Rayleigh, Conservative)
I sense at this hour that we are moving towards the sunset of our deliberations. I know that that will be a great disappointment to Labour Members. However, I shall make a few quick points in response to the Minister.
My hon. Friend the Member for St. Albans made an apposite point, as she has done a number of times. She gave the example of HIPs: a lot of money was spent preparing for them, but it was spent mostly by people training to become HIPs inspectors. Private individuals lost money, rather than the taxpayer. That was not well handled by the Government, and it does not set an exciting precedent for what may follow the Bill.
It is important to reiterate the matter of timing. The Government have issued four consultation documents on the process—they have talked about it a great deal—and the current consultation will end on 28 February. They know that there is much opposition to the proposals. At some point, the Government have to take a definitive decision—one way or the other. As an American friend who fishes says, they either have to fish or cut bait. I hope that the industry will not have to wait much longer before the Government’s intentions become clear. I hope that they will back away from this errant and mistaken tax.
I should like to thank you, Mr. Hood, as we draw to a conclusion, for the good-humoured way in which you have chaired our proceedings. You kept us ticking along nicely. In a spirit of equally good humour, I give a parting shot to the Minister. It might be said that this is a bad paving Bill, that it is bad paving. I think it represents crazy paving—and I can tell the Minister that, by squeezing in that remark, I have won a bet. I thank you, Mr. Hood, for your services to the Committee. I beg to ask leave to withdraw the motion.