Baroness Burt of Solihull
Main Page: Baroness Burt of Solihull (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)(12 years, 5 months ago)
Commons ChamberRead Full debate Read Hansard Text
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Greg Clark
The right hon. Gentleman will know that the Government have consulted on precisely that. It is important that there is a strong connection between an authority’s business rate receipts—all authorities; not just cities—and its policy behaviour in respect of businesses. The direction in which we are headed is very clear, but the precise technical details will be made clear in days to come.
Lorely Burt (Solihull) (LD)
I welcome today’s announcement, particularly the repatriation of business rates. Real localism means people having their own money to spend how they decide locally. How many savings will be made by reversing Labour’s Whitehall centralisation, under which so much taxpayers’ money was lost in administration costs before it ever got to front-line users?
Greg Clark
There is recognition that whatever the intentions behind the regional agencies, whether RDAs or regional arrangements more generally, they had become instruments—or, as it were, embassies—of Whitehall in the country. Our preferred approach is to devolve powers to cities so that they can revive their reputation of being able to determine their own future and stand proudly in the world as beacons of investment.