§ The following Amendment stood upon the Order Paper in the name of Mr. WESTWOOD: In page 99, line 14, leave out "-sixty" and insert "fifty."
§ Mr. J. S. C. ReidI have to submit that this Amendment is out of Order on the Report stage. The purpose of the Amendment is to reduce the Government grant to local planning authorities from a maximum of 60 to a maximum of 50 per cent. The only source from which the local planning authorities can make up the balance is the local rates, and it is the established practice in this House that you cannot increase the charge on local rates on the Report stage of a Bill. It is not necessary, in order that the Amendment shall be out of Order, that it shall necessarily increase the rates, it is enough that it may increase them. This Amendment enables the Government to lower the grant, and therefore makes it possible for the amount from the rates to be increased.
§ Mr. BuchananI am not the Secretary of State, and I had no idea that this was to be raised. I can only give my own opinion, and I do so on the spur of the moment, but I give it freely and honestly. My view is that it does increase the rates, that it will have that effect. May I say, however, something to offset that? It may be a point for you to consider, Mr. Deputy-Speaker. On these matters I take the view very strongly that we should safeguard the rules of the House. This Amendment certainly reduces the grant. There is no minimum in the Bill. There is a maximum. When this was fixed the idea was that there should be a maximum figure, and there should be a minimum figure for the authorities less in need. While the maximum figure was fixed in the Bill at 60, the minimum figure was then fixed at 10 by the Treasury. In subsequent negotiations the Treasury took the view that we should make it 50 and raise the minimum to 20. I do not pro- 1983 pose to say anything further than that. Undoubtedly, if the 60 is taken by itself, then it might have an effect on local rating.
Mr. Deputy-SpeakerI feel that after the Minister's very frank statement this Amendment is out of Order for the reasons stated by the right hon. and learned Gentleman.