Business Rates

I think that I have addressed a number of issues on this subject. I shall briefly move on to talk about the small business rate relief scheme that was introduced in 2005. One of the issues relating to automaticity is that, because a local authority does not necessarily know which businesses occupy multiple properties, the ratepayer is asked to apply to confirm that they meet the criteria for the relief. I know that my right hon. Friend the Minister for Housing was sympathetic to the points raised by the hon. Member for Mid-Worcestershire (Peter Luff), but, under his proposal, it would be difficult to avoid placing a considerable burden on local authorities, which would need to establish whether a ratepayer was occupying more than one property. However, we are looking into what more we can do to improve the take-up of small business rates relief and we have already taken steps to amend legislation for 2009-10, so that all eligible businesses in new properties can receive rate relief from their first date of occupation.