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Planning-gain Supplement (Preparations) Bill

My right hon. Friend, with his experience as a former Secretary of State for the Environment, makes an important point. The Government have given us an indicative figure of 70 per cent. However, there is no guarantee of that in the Bill. Moreover, the Government have been somewhat vague about the mechanism’s operation. Those of us who have experienced the changes in the local government funding formula in the past few years know that when they say initially that they will provide 70 per cent., they introduce floors and ceilings or resource equalisation. We would therefore start in theory with 70 per cent., but the Government could perhaps then alter the amount of grant to local authorities in lieu of that. The proposal provides few guarantees in England, let alone Scotland. My right hon. Friend was right to make that point.