Clause 1
Business Rate Supplements Bill
11:15 am
Mark Field (Cities of London and Westminster, Conservative)
On that general point, is the Minister personally uneasy at the idea that we lack a democratic safeguard in this regard? He is quite right that local authorities work much more closely with their local businesses in trying to plan for the regeneration of particular parts of the local authority area. However, as we have repeatedly pointed out, there are many business men and women who do not live in the locality. In other words, they have no say on the election of a particular authority. Does the Minister instinctively feel uneasy at the lack of any democratic safeguard, notwithstanding the desire of business and local authorities to work together more closely?