HC Deb 14 October 1975 vol 897 cc1230-2
Mr. Sainsbury

I beg to move Amendment No. 214, in page 28, line 38, at end insert: 'and

  1. (c) that all reasonable steps have not been taken to find a tenant or tenants in respect of the unoccupied office accommodation during that period. '

Mr. Deputy Speaker (Sir Myer Galpern)

With this amendment, we shall take Government Amendments Nos. 216 and 217.

Mr. Sainsbury

The Government amendments are a response to an undertaking given in Committee. They use wording which is taken from the Conservative rating surcharge in the Surcharge Act 1974. Once again we are grateful to my right hon. Friend the Member for Crosby (Mr. Page). In these circumstances I hope that I shall be able to withdraw Amendment No. 214 and that the House will accept Amendments Nos. 216 and 217.

Mr. Oakes

We gave an undertaking in Committee on this point. I am sure that Amendments Nos. 216 and 217 cover all of the points raised in Amendment No. 214 but that they do so in a more appropriate way. I would, therefore, ask the hon. Member to ask leave to withdraw Amendment No. 214.

Mr. Sainsbury

I beg to ask leave to withdraw the amendment.

Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.

Mr. Oakes

I beg to move Amendment No. 215, in page 29, line 3, leave out from 'the' to 'and' in line 9 and insert 'completion date'.

Mr. Deputy Speaker

With that amendment, we shall take Government Amendments Nos. 218, 219 and 220.

Mr. Oakes

These are drafting amendments. Their main purpose is to make it clear that a valuation for the purposes of Clause 31 is made at the date when the office accommodation in a building is completed if the building as a whole is left incomplete.

Amendment agreed to.

Amendments made:

No. 216, in page 29, line 15, leave out from beginning to 'the' in line 16 and insert: 'The Secretary of State shall not acquire compulsorily under subsection (2) above—

No. 217, in line 19, at end insert: 'or (b) any interest in the land to which this section applies, if he is satisfied that the person entitled to possession of the unoccupied office accommodation has tried his best to let it. (4A) In determining for the purposes of subsection (4)(b) above whether the person entitled to possession of the unoccupied office accommodation has tried his best to let it, the Secretary of State shall have regard to the following, as well as other relevant factors—

  1. (a) the rent sought, compared with rents of similar accommodation in the area,
  2. (b) the other covenants and conditions required by that person to be contained in any proposed lease,
  3. (c)whether or not that person indicated to prospective lessees that he was prepared to let the accommodation in parts,
  4. (d)the number and resources of the firms of estate agents retained for the purpose of letting the accommodation, and
  5. (e)the nature and extent of advertising of the accommodation by that person or those agents.'

No. 218, in page 29, line 23, at end insert— '(5A) In this section and in section 31 of this Act "completion date", in relation to an office building, means the date on which—

  1. (a) where the office building consists only of office accommodation, the erection of the building, or
  2. (b) where it also comprises other accommodation, the erection of such part of it as consists of office accommodation.
was completed'.—[Mr. Oakes.]

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