Sadiq Khan (Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Community Cohension and Fire and Rescue Service), Department for Communities and Local Government; Tooting, Labour)

I thank the hon. Gentleman for his probing amendments. I know that he has experience with the planning board, and I can see why he has tabled them. They are interesting amendments that seek to strengthen the provisions in clause 9 in relation to regulations about ballots. None the less, I will explain why they are unnecessary and why I hope that the hon. Gentleman will withdraw them.

Clause 9 enables the Secretary of State to make regulations in relation to the procedure of a ballot on the imposition of a business rate supplement. Among the topics that the regulators may cover are

“the timing of the ballot; the form that a ballot may take; who is to hold the ballot”

and

“the conduct of a ballot.”

Regulators may also provide for the delegation of functions in relation to the ballot.

My right hon. Friend the Minister for Local Government sent a statement of intent to you, Mr. Atkinson, on Friday 23 January, which set out the approach that we intend to take on the secondary legislation that will be needed to give full effect to our proposals for the business rate supplement and to enable levying authorities to exercise the power to levy a BRS. Our intention is that the regulations should come into force as soon as possible after Royal Assent to the Bill. The ballots’ regulations will contain all the procedural detail, and they must be in force before the first business rate supplement can be levied on 1 April 2010. We believe that the regulations should cover the same issues that the hon. Gentleman proposes. With that reassurance, I hope that the hon. Gentleman will withdraw his amendments.

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