§ Lord Beaumont of Whitleyasked Her Majesty's Government:
How many local authorities have deferred payments of business rates from British Energy; and how much this has cost the local authorities concerned. [HL39]
32WA
§ The Minister of State, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (Lord Rooker)The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
§ Lord Beaumont of Whitleyasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they consider that the deferment of payments of business rates, such as those granted by Lancaster City Council to British Energy, can be deemed to be exempt from the obligation of publication. [HL40]
§ Lord RookerLocal authorities may by resolution exclude the public from a meeting during an item of business whenever it is likely that exempt information would otherwise be disclosed to members of the public. The resolution must identify the proceedings, or the part of the proceedings to which it applies, and state the description, in terms of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972, of the exempt information in question. Among the information which may be covered by a resolution is that relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (other than the authority)—paragraph 7 of Part I of Schedule 12A.