§ Mr. Dewarasked the Secretary of State for Scotland when he intends to lay the commencement order under the Abolition of Rates &c. (Scotland) Act 1987; what further orders subject to parliamentary procedure will be made in order to implement in full the Act over the next 12 months, and when; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. RifkindI intend that the commencement order should come into operation before the end of August. Details of the main groups of regulations to be made under the Act in the next few months were given by my hon. Friend the Member for Galloway and Upper Nithsdale (Mr. Lang) in the course of a debate on the implementation of the Act which took place on Monday 13 July [Official Report, column 876–77].