REMISSION OF RATES (LONDON) BILL. (Hansard, 25 June 1940)

§ THE PARLIAMENTARY UNDERSECRETARY OF STATE FOR INDIA AND BURMA (THE DUKE OF DEVONSHIRE)

My Lords, I shall not keep your Lordships for more than a very few minutes on this Bill. It arises out of a promise made in another place by the late Solicitor-General. The Bill is designed to effect a modification in the law relating to the remission of rates in London and to bring it into accord with the law as it obtains in the provinces. In London, the local authorities have not got the power to remit rates—powers which have been possessed for the last fifteen years by local authorities in the provinces and which have worked, so far as I am aware, quite satisfactorily and without giving rise 690 to any adverse criticism. This Bill will give similar powers to the metropolitan authorities. It is a purely emergency measure and is intended to deal with the undoubted hardship caused to certain classes of ratepayers who have been hit by war conditions, and are really unable to pay their rates—a class of ratepayer quite different from those who are normally in arrears with their rates.

As the law stands now, these people have to go before the justices in order to obtain any relief, and this Bill will give them power to go to the local authority to make their statement, and if the local authority is satisfied, it will be able to remit the rates. I ought to make it clear to your Lordships that the whole question of assimilating rating practice in London and the provinces is overdue and that is being considered now. This is not part of that general process which is wanted, but there are various matters which are outstanding; this is only a small measure, designed as a temporary measure only during wartime to deal with a real grievance which needs redressing.

§ LORD ARNOLD

My Lords, I should like to say a few words in welcoming this merciful measure, if I may so call it. I do not think it is possible for us to visualise the misery which has been occasioned by the war in certain parts of London, particularly to widows and spinsters who let rooms, by the conditions with which they are faced, and rates are obviously a factor in that gloomy picture. The measure which is now before your Lordships will, if generously administered, as I hope it will be, do something to relieve the burdens and anxieties of those people. There was a Bill passed by your Lordships' House in 1935, when the noble and learned Viscount on the Woolsack was at the Home Office. That was a very merciful measure, and it dealt with the question of imprisonment for non-payment of rates. It laid down that in future nobody was to be sent to prison for non-payment of rates, except on account of wilful refusal or culpable neglect. I would not like to say it has been carried out in its entirety, but it has reduced very substan- 691 tially the number of people going to prison for non-payment of rates. But whether it is a question of prison or not, it is extremely hard that many of these people should have to go before the justices, which does involve a certain amount of anxiety. Therefore I feel quite certain that this is a measure which will meet with full approval in your Lordships' House.