Clause 1
Business Rate Supplements Bill
10:30 am
Dan Rogerson (North Cornwall, Liberal Democrat)
We are not seeking to change the conditions in the Bill about who would qualify for a ballot, and when we come on to talk about thresholds, we will discuss those on whom the rate will be imposed. The issue is that the Bill defines a set of circumstances that would trigger a ballot, which is when a certain percentage—30 per cent. or so—or more of the total scheme budget is to be funded by the BRS. Below that proportion, it will not be necessary to hold a ballot. Given the evidence that we heard and the written submissions that we had from the business community, there is a great deal of concern that the provision does not go far enough and there should be a ballot in all circumstances, and that is what my amendment seeks to introduce.
I will therefore be interested to hear the Minister’s response. I suspect that I can anticipate some of the arguments because we rehearsed them a little during the exchanges—I hesitate to call them debates—in our evidence sessions. I will obviously wait to hear what the Minister has to say, but I hope he will feel that the evidence that we heard in our earlier sittings is convincing enough to move to having a ballot in all circumstances. If I am not entirely satisfied, I may well seek to press some of the amendments to a vote.