Written question asked by Nigel Waterson (Conservative) on Monday, 12 March 2001, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 20 March 2001. It was answered by Baroness Hughes of Stretford (Labour) on Tuesday, 20 March 2001 on behalf of the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions.

Dept of the Environment Transport and the Regions

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, if he will make a statement on Government policy on restoring the business rate to the control of local councils.

Answer: Mr. Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on Government policy on restoring the business rate to the control of local councils. [153802] Ms Beverley Hughes: In our White Paper, "Modern Local Government: In Touch with the People" (July 1998), we said that the present system of a national business rate had some advantages and we would therefore retain it. However we said that we would also give local authorities a limited freedom to vary the business rate in their areas. In our Green Paper, Modernising Local Government Finance (September 2000), we sought views on how this might work in detail. A summary of the responses to the Green Paper has been published on the DETR website. We will publish our conclusions in a White Paper later this year.

Secondary information