---

Business Rate Supplements Bill

I am grateful to the noble Lord for how he introduced the amendment and the background, which is useful to have on the record. I am sure that the noble Lord, Lord Brooke of Sutton Mandeville, will be pleased that we have had a full explanation in that form. I can be quite swift in answering this. It clearly raises an important point as to whether voluntary contributions to BRS will be permitted deductions from corporation tax, as is the case with rates generally. I can confirm, as the noble Lord has asked, that BRS builds on the current business rates system. As such, any BRS payment a local business is required to make towards the cost of the project will be a permitted deduction from corporation tax. The noble Lord has raised the other important matter. It is complex and I will have to write to him. I will surely do so as swiftly and as comprehensively as I can. In the mean time, however, I hope that the noble Lord having put that on the record as he has will enable business partners, particularly those in Crossrail, to see that we are seriously debating the issue.