§ Mr. Allen Adamsasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has any plans to take steps to reduce the level of rates currently falling on rugby football clubs in Scotland.
§ Mr. AncramWe have taken effective measures to reduce the burden of rates on those ratepayers most severely affected by the overspending of local authorities and by the 1985 rating revaluation, which may include rugby clubs. Rating authorities have discretion to reduce or remit the rates payable on premises occupied by clubs not established or conducted for profit and which are wholly or mainly used for purposes of recreation. The Secretary of State cannot intervene in authorities' exercise of this discretion, nor in the appeals against rateable values which some clubs have lodged with assessors. The Government's proposals for the reform of the whole system of local government finance are set out in the Green Paper (Cmnd 9714) published on 28 January.