---

Rates (Capital Values, etc.) (Northern Ireland) Order 2006

My understanding was that we meant what we said. I remember the earlier discussions on this. It was not just a relief for the organisation with the hall—the hall had to be available. First, they cannot have an income stream, so if they are selling alcohol they would not be covered. That is my understanding, and if I am wrong I will be corrected. That is why there is a difference between halls and sports and social clubs because, in the main, most sports and social clubs, although they get a rating exemption or discount, have an income stream from a bar. A lot of the halls do not have that. If they do not, and as long as they are available for wider community use—I gave examples of youth clubs and pensioner lunch clubs—they will be covered. In other words, it is not about the purpose of the hall itself. I am not saying every Tom Cobbley and all, but they must be available for a much wider use than the narrow purpose of the hall itself. That will be defined with experience. The point is that many of them are available now; although not all of them. It is not a massive change. There are plenty of examples. If there is an income stream with alcohol, our view was that they did not need the exemption. If they are running a business, such as buying property for renting out for the purpose of dwellings, that is not like the hall. The exemption would apply to the hall. I can get clarification, but as I understand it the exemption is for the hall, not for business activities that may involve buying up other dwellings for renting out. That is not the hall, is it? There is also the question of availability for wider public use.