Part of Oral Answers to Questions — Environment – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 6 July 1983.
Mr Patrick Jenkin
, Wanstead and Woodford
12:00,
6 July 1983
My hon. Friend should await publication of the white paper to discover the extent to which we are prepared to reform. In addition to our proposals for rate limitation, we propose to extend the availability of payment by instalments to small businesses, to impose an obligation on local authorities to consult business interests, to end rating of empty industrial property, to provide for separate notices for district and county elections and to provide for council tenants separate information on rates. Those changes will help to make the rating system, and local authorities, more accountable to ratepayers. That is what we need.
A document issued by the Government laying out its policy, or proposed policy, on a topic of current concern.Although a white paper may occasion consultation as to the details of new legislation, it does signify a clear intention on the part of a government to pass new law. This is a contrast with green papers, which are issued less frequently, are more open-ended and may merely propose a strategy to be implemented in the details of other legislation.
More from wikipedia here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_paper
