Empty Business Premises (Hansard, 26 January 1984)

HC Deb 26 January 1984 vol 52 cc668-9W 668W

§ Mr. Soames
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will introduce legislation to abolish the rating of all empty business premises.

§ Mr. Waldegrave
No. Since there is at present no market for empty industrial property in many areas, my right hon. Friend intends to lay regulations before the House which will suspend rating authorities' powers to levy rates on empty industrial property from 1 April 1984.
669W
Under the Unoccupied Property Rate (Variation of Current Ceiling) Order 1980, rates on other empty non-domestic properties are limited to a maximum of 50 per cent. of the occupied rate.