Uniform Business Rate (Hansard, 13 June 1990)

HC Deb 13 June 1990 vol 174 c199W 199W

§ Mr. O'Brien
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will consider making adjustments to the payment of the uniform business rates to help with the loss of the former business rates paid to the town and parish councils; and if he will make a statement;
(2) what representations he has received from town and parish councils over the introduction of the community charge and the uniform business rate and their effects on financing local government; and if he will make a statement;
(3) if he intends to take action to assist in the retention of town and parish councils where the reform of the business rate is having some effect on their future; and if he will make a statement.

§ Mr. Chope
My right hon. Friend has received many representations from town and parish councils about the introduction of the community charge and the uniform business rate, and about the effects on financing local government. District councils have powers to assist town and parish councils in meeting their costs. The new system means that all councils are now accountable to their charge payers for their decisions.

§ Mr. Flynn
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what evidence he has of evasion by hotels, guest houses and tourist accommodation of their obligations to pay the uniform business rate;
(2) if he has any plans to investigate the use of the fire certificate threshold of six letting bed spaces as a suitable starting point for imposition of the uniform business rate.

§ Mr. Chope
[holding answer 12 June 1990]: I have no evidence of such evasion. I have received representations from home owners providing bed-and-breakfast accommodation for a more generous exemption than the 99-day maximum which currently operates: but others, particularly the hotel trade, believe that any exemption in this area could lead to unfair competition. The tourist authorities have represented that the existing exemption could lead to a shortening of the season in which some accommodation is available. We are considering these arguments and others that have been put to us.