Business Rate Supplements Bill

The Minister’s response was very helpful, as usual, and I am very grateful for other contributions to this short debate. The Minister drew attention to the White Paper. As well as outlining why this is a very difficult issue, paragraph 2.19 refers to four alternative routes that could be used for testing additionality. Paragraph 2.20 says: ""The Government intends to consult on how best to deliver the additionality requirement"." The Minister invites us to accept that we need a tax-raising power and to trust that the Government will use it only for projects that are additional to those already in the pipeline. It does not even offer any settled way in which that will be done. The Minister refers to the fact that councils are innovative and imaginative. Councils may be, but Her Majesty’s Treasury trumps everyone in its innovation and imagination in coming up with new schemes. In saying that, I declare an interest as a former Treasury Minister in a previous Administration who has spotted its fingerprints on these issues. Noble Lords can see the vagueness when it comes to computing the figures, and I am sure that we will return to the issue on Report. I beg leave to withdraw the amendment. Amendment 5 withdrawn.