I shall try to use some ingenuity, Madam Deputy Speaker, to ensure that it is appropriate.
Earlier, an Opposition Member discussed his dissatisfaction with the gearing effect in the current system. The proportion of funding that is raised locally is the essence of local democracy, and when I was a chair of finance, it was about 50:50. I recently met a former Cabinet member from those days—I will not mention his name to save his blushes—who said that he wished that he had not moved in the same direction as the Tory party, because he now sees the problems caused by breaking the link between the effects of local decisions and the amount of money raised locally. As long as local democracy is supported by a cushion, decisions will be made centrally rather than locally, which is a danger.
My hon. Friend the Member for Chorley (Mr. Hoyle) has discussed property taxes and stability. As long as we continue to relate council tax to property, an element of stability will be required in order to uphold the very democracy that we are discussing. As I have said—I have said this so many times that I am sure that my hon. Friend the Member for Chorley must have heard me—an element of revaluation is required, otherwise the system will continue to be nonsense.
Council Tax (New Valuation Lists for England) Bill
Proceeding contribution from
Kali Mountford
(Labour)
in the House of Commons on Monday, 7 November 2005.
It occurred during Debate on bills on Council Tax (New Valuation Lists for England) Bill.
Type
Proceeding contribution
Reference
439 c105 
Session
2005-06
Chamber / Committee
House of Commons chamber
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2024-04-21 21:08:36 +0100
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