Business Rate Supplements Bill

This is a minor, probing amendment to test where the Government stand in relation to the £50,000 threshold for the business rate supplement. What is going to happen is that, as rateable values increase, as we hope they will, particularly as the country climbs out of recession, and as prices increase, more and more businesses will come within the reach of the £50,000 threshold. The Minister has made clear on a number of occasions that the desire is not to see small businesses unduly impacted by these measures and to see them exempted. Therefore, we want to know what position the Government are thinking of in relation to upgrading this threshold when it comes. On a specific technical point, it would be good if the Minister would comment on the position of those businesses which have been exempt this year because they are under the £50,000 threshold. Next year, there is the revaluation. Does that mean that those businesses that are exempt this year will also be exempt next year? Clearly, businesses next year are going to be in for a very tough time when it comes to business rates. The 3 per cent deferral in the increase in the business rates, which was due to be levied on 6 April this year, has been moved to next year. There will be the revaluation itself, community infrastructure levies, congestion charging and workplace parking levies. A whole range of things are being talked about that will hit businesses just as they are potentially struggling to emerge from this very deep recession. I wonder whether the Minister, who has been in generous mood to the Committee this afternoon in giving way on a number of points, might like to extend that generosity to hard-pressed businesses by giving a positive response to this minor amendment. I beg to move.