§ Mr. HendersonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his Department's estimate of the extent of the practice whereby buildings and property are stripped to avoid liability under the uniform business rate.
§ Mr. Robin SquireWe know of some cases where preliminary refurbishment or redevelopment work may have been brought forward to avoid rates. However, we are not aware of any empty properties that have been made unusable simply in order to avoid them.