Clause 2
Business Rate Supplements Bill
12:00 pm
Bob Neill (Shadow Minister, Communities and Local Government; Bromley and Chislehurst, Conservative)
I have listened to the Minister and he is superficially persuasive. Unfortunately, the Government’s actions belie their reasonable words. He presents the measure as an enabling opportunity for the rest of the country, but there is great suspicion of the Government’s real motives elsewhere in the country. For the reasons rehearsed, there is acceptance that a funding package for Crossrail is in place that people now want to implement. However, juxtaposing this new potential tax-raising power given to local authorities elsewhere and the Government’s slashing the money available for local authorities to support business development gives rise to a real fear that the proposal comes from the Treasury’s desire to transfer burdens from central Government to local businesses.