§ Dr. CunninghamTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will place in the Library the papers produced for the following groups of officials and local authority association representatives(a) the new systems working group, (b) the rates working party, (c) the community charge working group, (d) the community charge implementation sub-group and (e) the capital programmes working party.
§ Mr. RidleyI am placing in the Library copies of the papers circulated for the most recent meetings of these working groups and working parties.
§ Mr. AllenTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how he proposes to meet the loss of £10 million income from the introduction of the uniform business rate in Nottingham.
§ Mrs. Virginia BottomleyIf the uniform business rate had been introduced in 1988–89, business in Nottingham would have benefited from a 15 per cent. reduction in rates, and some £10 million less would have been raised locally from business rates. This does not necessarily mean that the local authorities would have been any worse off. Broadly speaking, provided that a local authority is spending sensibly, its total income from business rates and grant combined should be no less under the uniform business rate than under the present system.