§ Mr. Peter Bruinvelsasked the Prime Minister if she has any plans to introduce legislation to provide for commercial ratepayers to have the opportunity to vote in local elections.
§ The Prime MinisterWe have no plans to reintroduce a business vote in local elections. When the business vote was abolished in 1969 only 150,000 people were entitled to vote under the provision in Great Britain, compared with a total of 36 million electors at that time. A more effective way of ensuring that business ratepayers have the opportunity to influence local authorities is provided by the duty to consult representatives of their industrial and commercial ratepayers placed on authorities in the Rates Act 1984.