§ Mr. Andrew WelshTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received from Scottish industry and commerce about the implications of separate English, Welsh and Scottish uniform business rates.
§ Mr. LangRepresentations have been received from a number of bodies about the effects of introducing a separate Scottish uniform business rate on the distribution of the overall rate burden on Scottish business. There are no plans to introduce a separate uniform business rate for Scotland.
§ Mr. Andrew WelshTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment he has made of the impact of separate uniform business rates in Scotland, England and Wales on the Scottish industrial and commercial sectors; if he will express the estimated Scottish uniform business rate as a percentage of the estimated English uniform business rate in the first year of the simultaneous operation of both; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. LangThere are no plans to introduce a separate uniform business rate for Scotland, and accordingly no such assessment has been made.