HC Deb 17 February 1992 vol 204 cc68-70W
Mr. Beith

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what estimate he has of the cost of cancelling the increase in the national non-domestic rate poundage for England in 1992–93 which he announced in his answer to the hon. Member for Hyndburn (Mr. Hargreaves) of 6 November 1991Official Report, column 158; and what would be the cost of reducing that increase to (a) 3 per cent., (b) 2 per cent. and (c) 1 per cent.

Mr. Portillo

I estimate that the cost of cancelling the increase of just over 4 per cent. on the 1991–92 uniform business rate multiplier would be approximately £500 million. Under-indexing would cost approximately £125 million for each percentage point.

Mr. Beith

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his estimate of the cost of increasing the thresholds at which businesses are elegible for the small business category of uniform business rate transitional relief from a rateable value of £10,000 to £15,000 outside London, and from a rateable value of £15,000 to £25,000 within London for the financial year 1992–93.

Mr. Portillo

I estimate that the cost in England would be about £25 million.

Mr. Beith

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will estimate the cost in 1992–93 of extending the transitional relief scheme for the uniform business rate in England so that all losses are suspended in the coming financial year, while all gains continue to be phased in according to the transitional arrangements.

Mr. Portillo

I estimate that the cost of freezing rate increases in real terms, for 1992–93, for ratepayers subject to transitional arrangements would be around £300 million.

Mr. Beith

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what estimate he has of the cost of lowering the maximum permissible annual increase in uniform business rate bills in(a) nominal and (h) real terms, (i) for small businesses, from 15 to 10 per cent. and (ii) for larger businesses, from 20 to 15 per cent. in 1992–93.

Mr. Portillo

I estimate that the cost in 1992–93 of confining the maximum annual transitional increase to 10 per cent. for small properties and 15 per cent. for large ones would be about £140 million. The cost of confining the maximum increase to the same limits in real terms would be about £70 million.