Business Rate Supplements Bill

Part of the debate – in a Public Bill Committee at 12:00 pm on 22 January 2009.

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John Healey: Indeed, and the chief executive you are talking about, Michael Cuff, has brought a similar strength to the role of my borough council, Rotherham council, in trying to support developments in the local economy. He, like me, serves as a director of our local chamber of commerce. The local authority now has relations with the local business community and business organisations that are light years away from the situation that typified local authority-business relations 15 or 20 years ago. Thinking of the situation in my own area, were there to be discussions about a potentially big, long-term investment in which BRS may play a part, that would be likely to be initiated around the local authority. However, I have to say that the first place where it would be discussed would be at the local strategic partnership, and that would be dealt with by a board there that is chaired by one of our local business figures. It would be discussed at a very early stage—certainly well before any of the preliminary work to produce a prospectus—with the chamber of commerce and others in business in the area.