Business Rate Supplements Bill

It is nice to see peace breaking out all over the Committee. In this wonderful, fast-moving world in which we work, I am sure that imitation in the policy process is the sincerest form of flattery. I am sure that the Government have spent much of the past three years in Queen’s Speeches, and certainly in their Budgets, flattering Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition by picking up so many of our ideas. In seeking leave to withdraw the amendment, I should perhaps do so with some optimism, given the remarks of my noble friend Lord Jenkin of Roding. While we are arguing against double charging and on the need for burdens on business to be released, and the Minister is making a valiant defence on why that cannot be the case, it may be that in six or 12 months some proposed new legislation called the local levying tax simplification Bill will be introduced which will answer all the points that have not been answered here. I say sincerely, and not in any churlish way, that efficiency of legislating when things can be dealt with in one place at one time aids the process. Speaking from a business perspective, on taxation matters and so on, businesses hate—yes, paying it, but to a greater extent—the uncertainty and complexity of the rules. While we converse fluently in the language of business rate supplements, community improvement levies, business improvement districts and growth initiatives, the average person out there, who is actually paying, has no clue about any of them. It is deeply confusing. There is no one with more experience and knowledge of local government finance than my noble friend Lord Jenkin, but this was how it went in the 1980s and 1990s and what led the then Conservative Government to introduce the single regeneration budget. The complexity was such that no one quite understood the system so it had to be simplified. That is not flagging up the single regeneration budget rerun for the next Queen’s Speech, if there is one. The Minister has responded, for which I am grateful, and I beg leave to withdraw the amendment. Amendment 51 withdrawn. Amendments 52 to 55A not moved.