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Business Rate Supplements Bill

My Lords, my noble friend's grasp of history and his wit and insight are the things that we look forward to. I would add only this. The thing that will secure our position not only among the Welsh people but in the other parts of the country and also in the north of England is that we are protecting them from a tax increase. We reject the notion that the best way of advancing our newfound prominence in those regions outside London—in the south-west and in the north; in fact, it is difficult to think of a region where we did not make advances—is to levy a tax on those people, when there are many other vehicles by which that economic regeneration could be happening. For example, there is the money going from the central Exchequer into the regional development agencies. There is the business rates levy. There are business improvement districts. There is a local authority business growth initiative. Business taxes many and plenty are being levied to promote economic regeneration, which is desperately needed at this time. I found the Minister's response less than convincing. As such, I should like to test the opinion of the House on this issue. Division on Amendment 3 Contents 59; Not-Contents 122. Amendment 3 disagreed. Clause 3: Use of money raised by a BRS Amendment 4 not moved. Amendment 5 not moved.