§ 1.34 p.m.
§ Baroness Ramsay of Cartvale rose to move, That the draft order laid before the House on 27th February be approved [25th Report from the Joint Committee].
§ The noble Baroness said: My Lords, I beg to move the Motion standing in my name on the Order Paper.
§ The draft order before the House today is a straightforward provision which prescribes rateable values for the year 1997–98 for the operational lands and heritages occupied by ScotRail, and other franchise operators who are now in rateable occupation of property acquired from the British Railways Board.
§ The prescribed rateable value figure taken from the British Railways Board (Rateable Values)(Scotland) Order 1995 has been adjusted to take account of the disposal of a number of properties, and to arrive at a new prescribed total of £602,600 for 1997–98. That figure has been apportioned among the franchise operators on the basis of rental evidence from the current regulatory and charging regime and between local authorities on the basis of the locations of the properties concerned.
§ When the ScotRail passenger rail franchise was acquired by the National Express Group on 1st April 1997, the British Railways Board (Rateable Values)(Scotland) Order 1995, which had prescribed the rateable value of property occupied by British Rail, ceased to have any effect. This draft order prescribes the rateable value for the new occupiers and merely continues the previous rating arrangements.
§ The draft order has been subject to consultation, with local authorities and the franchise operators concerned. All are in agreement with the proposal. Further orders will be required for 1998–99 and 1999–2000 in due course. I commend the order to the House.
§ Moved, That the draft order laid before the House on 27th February be approved [25th Report from the Joint Committe.]—(Baroness Ramsay of Cartvale.)
§ Lord LukeMy Lords, we on these Benches support the approval of this order.
On Question, Motion agreed to.