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Business Rate Supplements Bill

It is a pleasure to follow the right hon. Member for Greenwich and Woolwich (Mr. Raynsford). He has pursued the issue keenly throughout the Bill's passage through both Houses, and there is an element of unfinished business in it for him, given that he presided over the introduction of BIDs and, along with many others, has been an advocate of them during our deliberations. He was keen to ensure that the proposed changes—the involvement of a BRS system, too—would have a positive rather than negative impact on BID areas, because there was a danger of conflict between the two systems. The previous two contributors discussed anomalies and particular situations, and, as the right hon. Gentleman said, we are not quite there yet. It would have been good to tidy up the situation in which a BRS is not imposed, but, despite his attempts in Committee to do all sorts of things, such as amend the title of the Bill, which was necessary at the time, it has not quite been possible to resolve that particular situation. I also note that the right hon. Gentleman was slightly more supportive of the work that their lordships put into this element of the Bill than he was of their work on the previous one, but I leave that to the House to decide. The House has obviously had the opportunity to vote again on the issue, but I merely note in passing how I think that they were right on the previous issue and right on this one. I am pleased to see that the hon. Member for Bromley and Chislehurst (Robert Neill), in his usual friendly and positive way, seeks to contribute to resolving the issue before us, although it presents him with a slight challenge, given that he is technically approving the imposition of BRS in other parts of the country but his party has said that it does not do so. With that comment set aside, however, we can all support the fact that the provision presents a solution—albeit slightly inelegant—to a problem and takes us further forward. We will all be watching keenly to see how BID areas make progress and, I hope, do even more to benefit their local communities and the business communities within them.