§ Mr. Heddleasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will specify which use classes will benefit from the Government's decision to suspend local authorities' powers to levy rates on empty industrial premises from 1 April.
§ Mr. WaldegraveThe definition of an "industrial hereditament" used for the purposes of consultation on the forthcoming regulations to suspend local authorities' powers to levy rates on empty industrial property was set out in the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Islington, South and Finsbury (Mr. Smith) on Monday 6 February at column461. It was not based on the Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) Order 1972, which serves a different purpose. However, I would expect that buildings which gain exemption from empty property rates under our new regulations will previously have been used as light, general or special industrial buildings as defined in that order.