Clause 12
Business Rate Supplements Bill
5:30 pm
Dan Rogerson (North Cornwall, Liberal Democrat)
I beg to move amendment 16, in clause 12, page 8, line 21, leave out ‘prescribed by regulations’ and insert ‘specified in subsection (1A).
(1A) The amount is £50,000.
(1B) The amount in subsection (1A) may be amended by regulations.’.
We turn to the question of an amount, £50,000, in connection not, I hasten to add, with any proposed amendments to the Bill, but with the threshold that the Government are minded to implement through regulations. In the debate about the previous set of amendments, I made the point about being clear to people about what is intended, and the Minister is absolutely right that he and his colleagues have signalled that intention throughout. However, it is an important principle that, wherever possible, as much information as possible be provided in the Bill.
On the amount, we heard witnesses from the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors, who thought that the threshold was too high, and Dr. Grail, from British BIDs, who thought that it was perhaps too low. So, I am not entirely wedded to £50,000; the point is that, as early as possible, the Government’s intention should be published in the Bill. However, on the point raised by a Conservative Member about the amount being fixed in primary legislation, the amendment would allow it to be changed by regulation, as is the case in the current circumstances. An amount would be mentioned to start with, but we could revisit it in secondary legislation. The amendment’s only significant change would be the introduction of a starting point.
That is an important principle. These are highly significant changes to the operation of the business rate in the areas where it will be applied, and affected businesses will expect not only to be consulted on individual projects and, wherever possible—although sadly not in every case—to be consulted through a ballot, but to have every indication of how the provision will begin to bite, so that they can begin to plan accordingly. The principle is not that I think £50,000 is necessarily the right amount for ever, but merely that it is a starting point that might be amended by regulation; otherwise, the issue will be left hanging as the Bill makes its way through the House, and at some point regulations will be introduced. It is a fairly straightforward amendment, and I should be interested to hear the views of other Committee members.