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My hon. Friend the Member for Sheffield, Attercliffe mentioned revaluation. Regular revaluations are an important part of the rating system as they maintain fairness between all ratepayers. Revaluation ensures that each business contributes, based on up-to-date information. As my right hon. Friend the Minister said, all rateable values will be published at the end of September. At the same time, we will provide the business rates calculator to help ratepayers estimate their rates bill for 2010. By October, ratepayers will be able to estimate their 2010 rates bill, using their actual 2010 rateable value. [Interruption.]
Mr. Deputy Speaker: Order. I am sorry to interrupt the hon. Lady, but far too many conversations are going on in the Chamber. We must hear the end of the debate.
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: For ratepayers who face increases at the 2010 revaluation, we will introduce transitional arrangements to phase them in and consult during the summer about the shape of those arrangements, which will benefit businesses in 2010-11.
The Government have recognised the problems that many businesses face. We are committed to doing all that we can to help businesses through the testing times. We are providing targeted, short-term support to aid business cash flow. We will continue to support businesses through the difficult economic times, and I commend our amendment to he House.
Question put (Standing Order No. 31(2)), That the original words stand part of the Question.
The House proceeded to a Division.
Mr. Deputy Speaker: I ask the Serjeant at Arms to investigate the delay in the Lobby of her choice.
The House having divided: Ayes 207, Noes 269.
AYES
Afriyie, Adam
Ainsworth, Mr. Peter
Amess, Mr. David
Ancram, rh Mr. Michael
Arbuthnot, rh Mr. James
Atkinson, Mr. Peter
Bacon, Mr. Richard
Baldry, Tony
Barker, Gregory
Barrett, John
Bellingham, Mr. Henry
Benyon, Mr. Richard
Bercow, John
Beresford, Sir Paul
Binley, Mr. Brian
Blunt, Mr. Crispin
Bone, Mr. Peter
Boswell, Mr. Tim
Brady, Mr. Graham
Brazier, Mr. Julian
Brokenshire, James
Brooke, Annette
Browne, Mr. Jeremy
Browning, Angela
Burns, Mr. Simon
Burrowes, Mr. David
Burt, Alistair
Butterfill, Sir John
Campbell, rh Sir Menzies
Carswell, Mr. Douglas
Cash, Mr. William
Chope, Mr. Christopher
Clappison, Mr. James
Clark, Greg
Clarke, rh Mr. Kenneth
Clifton-Brown, Mr. Geoffrey
Cormack, Sir Patrick
Cox, Mr. Geoffrey
Crabb, Mr. Stephen
Davies, Mr. Dai
Davies, David T.C. (Monmouth)
Davies, Philip
Djanogly, Mr. Jonathan
Dorrell, rh Mr. Stephen
Dorries, Nadine
Duddridge, James
Duncan, Alan
Duncan Smith, rh Mr. Iain
Ellwood, Mr. Tobias
Evans, Mr. Nigel
Evennett, Mr. David
Fabricant, Michael
Fallon, Mr. Michael
Farron, Tim
Field, Mr. Mark
Francois, Mr. Mark
Fraser, Christopher
Gale, Mr. Roger
Garnier, Mr. Edward
Gauke, Mr. David
George, Andrew
Gibb, Mr. Nick
Gidley, Sandra
Gillan, Mrs. Cheryl
Goldsworthy, Julia
Goodman, Mr. Paul
Goodwill, Mr. Robert
Gove, Michael
Gray, Mr. James
Green, Damian
Greening, Justine
Greenway, Mr. John
Grieve, Mr. Dominic
Gummer, rh Mr. John
Hague, rh Mr. William
Hammond, Mr. Philip
Hammond, Stephen
Hancock, Mr. Mike
Hands, Mr. Greg
Harper, Mr. Mark
Harvey, Nick
Hayes, Mr. John
Heald, Mr. Oliver
Heath, Mr. David
Heathcoat-Amory, rh Mr. David
Hemming, John
Hendry, Charles
Herbert, Nick
Hoban, Mr. Mark
Hollobone, Mr. Philip
Holloway, Mr. Adam
Holmes, Paul
Howard, rh Mr. Michael
Howarth, Mr. Gerald
Howell, John
Huhne, Chris
Hunt, Mr. Jeremy
Hunter, Mark
Hurd, Mr. Nick
Jack, rh Mr. Michael
Jackson, Mr. Stewart
Jenkin, Mr. Bernard
Kawczynski, Daniel
Key, Robert
Kirkbride, Miss Julie
Knight, rh Mr. Greg
Laing, Mrs. Eleanor
Lait, Mrs. Jacqui
Lamb, Norman
Lancaster, Mr. Mark
Lansley, Mr. Andrew
Laws, Mr. David
Leech, Mr. John
Leigh, Mr. Edward
Letwin, rh Mr. Oliver
Lewis, Dr. Julian
Liddell-Grainger, Mr. Ian
Lidington, Mr. David
Lilley, rh Mr. Peter
Llwyd, Mr. Elfyn
Loughton, Tim
Luff, Peter
Mackay, rh Mr. Andrew
Maclean, rh David
Main, Anne
Malins, Mr. Humfrey
Mates, rh Mr. Michael
Maude, rh Mr. Francis
May, rh Mrs. Theresa
McCrea, Dr. William
McLoughlin, rh Mr. Patrick
Mercer, Patrick
Miller, Mrs. Maria
Milton, Anne
Mitchell, Mr. Andrew
Moore, Mr. Michael
Moss, Mr. Malcolm
Mundell, David
Murrison, Dr. Andrew
Newmark, Mr. Brooks
O'Brien, Mr. Stephen
Öpik, Lembit
Ottaway, Richard
Paice, Mr. James
Paterson, Mr. Owen
Pelling, Mr. Andrew
Penning, Mike
Penrose, John
Pickles, Mr. Eric
Prisk, Mr. Mark
Pugh, Dr. John
Randall, Mr. John
Redwood, rh Mr. John
Rennie, Willie
Rifkind, rh Sir Malcolm
Robathan, Mr. Andrew
Robertson, Mr. Laurence
Rogerson, Dan
Rosindell, Andrew
Ruffley, Mr. David
Russell, Bob
Sanders, Mr. Adrian
Selous, Andrew
Shapps, Grant
Simmonds, Mark
Simpson, Mr. Keith
Smith, Sir Robert
Soames, Mr. Nicholas
Spelman, Mrs. Caroline
Spicer, Sir Michael
Spink, Bob
Stanley, rh Sir John
Streeter, Mr. Gary
Stuart, Mr. Graham
Swayne, Mr. Desmond
Swire, Mr. Hugo
Syms, Mr. Robert
Tapsell, Sir Peter
Taylor, Mr. Ian
Taylor, Dr. Richard
Timpson, Mr. Edward
Tredinnick, David
Turner, Mr. Andrew
Tyrie, Mr. Andrew
Vaizey, Mr. Edward
Vara, Mr. Shailesh
Viggers, Sir Peter
Villiers, Mrs. Theresa
Walker, Mr. Charles
Wallace, Mr. Ben
Walter, Mr. Robert
Waterson, Mr. Nigel
Watkinson, Angela
Webb, Steve
Whittingdale, Mr. John
Wiggin, Bill
Willetts, Mr. David
Williams, Mr. Roger
Williams, Stephen
Willott, Jenny
Wilshire, Mr. David
Wilson, Mr. Rob
Winterton, Ann
Winterton, Sir Nicholas
Wright, Jeremy
Yeo, Mr. Tim
Young, rh Sir George
Tellers for the Ayes:
Mr. John Baron and
Mr. Philip Dunne
NOES
Ainger, Nick
Ainsworth, rh Mr. Bob
Alexander, rh Mr. Douglas
Allen, Mr. Graham
Anderson, Mr. David
Anderson, Janet
Atkins, Charlotte
Austin, Mr. Ian
Bailey, Mr. Adrian
Balls, rh Ed
Banks, Gordon
Barlow, Ms Celia
Barron, rh Mr. Kevin
Battle, rh John
Beckett, rh Margaret
Begg, Miss Anne
Bell, Sir Stuart
Benn, rh Hilary
Benton, Mr. Joe
Berry, Roger
Betts, Mr. Clive
Blackman, Liz
Blizzard, Mr. Bob
Blunkett, rh Mr. David
Bradshaw, rh Mr. Ben
Brennan, Kevin
Brown, Lyn
Brown, rh Mr. Nicholas
Brown, Mr. Russell
Browne, rh Des
Bryant, Chris
Buck, Ms Karen
Burden, Richard
Burgon, Colin
Burnham, rh Andy
Butler, Ms Dawn
Caborn, rh Mr. Richard
Campbell, Mr. Alan
Caton, Mr. Martin
Challen, Colin
Chapman, Ben
Clapham, Mr. Michael
Clark, Paul
Clarke, rh Mr. Charles
Clarke, rh Mr. Tom
Clelland, Mr. David
Clwyd, rh Ann
Coaker, Mr. Vernon
Coffey, Ann
Cohen, Harry
Cook, Frank
Cooper, Rosie
Cooper, rh Yvette
Corbyn, Jeremy
Crausby, Mr. David
Creagh, Mary
Cruddas, Jon
Cryer, Mrs. Ann
Cummings, John
Cunningham, Mr. Jim
Cunningham, Tony
David, Mr. Wayne
Davidson, Mr. Ian
Dean, Mrs. Janet
Denham, rh Mr. John
Dobbin, Jim
Dobson, rh Frank
Donohoe, Mr. Brian H.
Dowd, Jim
Drew, Mr. David
Eagle, Angela
Eagle, Maria
Efford, Clive
Ellman, Mrs. Louise
Engel, Natascha
Etherington, Bill
Farrelly, Paul
Field, rh Mr. Frank
Fisher, Mark
Fitzpatrick, Jim
Flello, Mr. Robert
Flint, rh Caroline
Flynn, Paul
Follett, Barbara
Foster, Mr. Michael (Worcester)
Foster, Michael Jabez (Hastings and Rye)
Gapes, Mike
Gardiner, Barry
George, rh Mr. Bruce
Gerrard, Mr. Neil
Gilroy, Linda
Godsiff, Mr. Roger
Goodman, Helen
Griffith, Nia
Griffiths, Nigel
Grogan, Mr. John
Gwynne, Andrew
Hain, rh Mr. Peter
Hall, Mr. Mike
Hall, Patrick
Hamilton, Mr. David
Hamilton, Mr. Fabian
Hanson, rh Mr. David
Harman, rh Ms Harriet
Harris, Mr. Tom
Havard, Mr. Dai
Healey, rh John
Hendrick, Mr. Mark
Heppell, Mr. John
Hesford, Stephen
Heyes, David
Hoon, rh Mr. Geoffrey
Hope, Phil
Hopkins, Kelvin
Howarth, rh Mr. George
Howells, rh Dr. Kim
Hoyle, Mr. Lindsay
Hughes, rh Beverley
Humble, Mrs. Joan
Hutton, rh Mr. John
Iddon, Dr. Brian
Illsley, Mr. Eric
Irranca-Davies, Huw
Jenkins, Mr. Brian
Johnson, rh Alan
Johnson, Ms Diana R.
Jones, Mr. Kevan
Jones, Lynne
Jones, Mr. Martyn
Joyce, Mr. Eric
Keeble, Ms Sally
Keeley, Barbara
Keen, Alan
Keen, Ann
Kelly, rh Ruth
Kemp, Mr. Fraser
Kennedy, rh Jane
Khan, rh Mr. Sadiq
Kidney, Mr. David
Kilfoyle, Mr. Peter
Knight, rh Jim
Kumar, Dr. Ashok
Ladyman, Dr. Stephen
Laxton, Mr. Bob
Lazarowicz, Mark
Lepper, David
Levitt, Tom
Linton, Martin
Lloyd, Tony
Love, Mr. Andrew
Lucas, Ian
Mackinlay, Andrew
MacShane, rh Mr. Denis
Malik, Mr. Shahid
Mallaber, Judy
Mann, John
Marris, Rob
Marsden, Mr. Gordon
Martlew, Mr. Eric
McAvoy, rh Mr. Thomas
McCabe, Steve
McCafferty, Chris
McCarthy, Kerry
McCarthy-Fry, Sarah
McDonagh, Siobhain
McDonnell, John
McFadden, rh Mr. Pat
McFall, rh John
McGovern, Mr. Jim
McGuire, rh Mrs. Anne
McKechin, Ann
McKenna, Rosemary
Meacher, rh Mr. Michael
Meale, Mr. Alan
Merron, Gillian
Michael, rh Alun
Miller, Andrew
Mitchell, Mr. Austin
Moffat, Anne
Mole, Chris
Morgan, Julie
Morley, rh Mr. Elliot
Mudie, Mr. George
Mullin, Mr. Chris
Munn, Meg
Murphy, Mr. Denis
Murphy, rh Mr. Jim
Murphy, rh Mr. Paul
Naysmith, Dr. Doug
Norris, Dan
O'Brien, rh Mr. Mike
O'Hara, Mr. Edward
Olner, Mr. Bill
Osborne, Sandra
Palmer, Dr. Nick
Pearson, Ian
Plaskitt, Mr. James
Pope, Mr. Greg
Pound, Stephen
Prentice, Bridget
Prentice, Mr. Gordon
Primarolo, rh Dawn
Prosser, Gwyn
Purchase, Mr. Ken
Purnell, rh James
Raynsford, rh Mr. Nick
Reed, Mr. Jamie
Reid, rh John
Riordan, Mrs. Linda
Robertson, John
Robinson, Mr. Geoffrey
Rooney, Mr. Terry
Roy, Mr. Frank
Roy, Lindsay
Ruane, Chris
Ruddock, Joan
Russell, Christine
Salter, Martin
Sarwar, Mr. Mohammad
Seabeck, Alison
Shaw, Jonathan
Sheerman, Mr. Barry
Sheridan, Jim
Simon, Mr. Siôn
Simpson, Alan
Skinner, Mr. Dennis
Slaughter, Mr. Andy
Smith, rh Mr. Andrew
Smith, Ms Angela C. (Sheffield, Hillsborough)
Smith, Geraldine
Smith, rh Jacqui
Snelgrove, Anne
Soulsby, Sir Peter
Southworth, Helen
Spellar, rh Mr. John
Starkey, Dr. Phyllis
Stewart, Ian
Strang, rh Dr. Gavin
Stringer, Graham
Stuart, Ms Gisela
Sutcliffe, Mr. Gerry
Tami, Mark
Taylor, Ms Dari
Taylor, David
Thornberry, Emily
Timms, rh Mr. Stephen
Tipping, Paddy
Todd, Mr. Mark
Trickett, Jon
Turner, Dr. Desmond
Twigg, Derek
Ussher, Kitty
Vis, Dr. Rudi
Walley, Joan
Waltho, Lynda
Watson, Mr. Tom
Watts, Mr. Dave
Whitehead, Dr. Alan
Wicks, rh Malcolm
Williams, rh Mr. Alan
Williams, Mrs. Betty
Wilson, Phil
Winnick, Mr. David
Winterton, rh Ms Rosie
Woolas, Mr. Phil
Wright, Mr. Anthony
Wright, David
Wright, Mr. Iain
Wright, Dr. Tony
Tellers for the Noes:
Helen Jones and
Mrs. Sharon Hodgson
Question accordingly negatived.
Question put forthwith (Standing Order No. 31(2)), That the proposed words be there added.
The Deputy Speaker declared the main Question, as amended, to be agreed to (Standing Order No. 31(2)).
That this House notes that the Government is providing real help to businesses, with targeted support through the £20 billion working capital scheme, the Enterprise Finance Guarantee Scheme making available £1.3 billion of Government-guaranteed lending, an aim to pay Government suppliers within 10 days, a cut in the main rate of value added tax to 15 per cent., a deferral in the increase in the small companies’ rate of corporation tax, free business health checks, over £100 million towards debt advice, the HM Revenue and Customs Business Payment Support Service benefiting over 100,000 firms by spreading a total of £2.5 billion of tax payments, and the extended rate relief for empty properties; recognises the Government’s commitment to the annual Retail Price Index cap means there has been no real terms increase in business rates since 1990; welcomes the Small Business Rate Relief scheme providing £260 million of support in 2007-08; supports the fairness achieved by revaluing properties every five years with transitional arrangements to phase in significant changes in rates bills; welcomes the deferral scheme enabling payment of 2009-10 rates increases to be spread over three years to be brought into force by regulations in July; further notes the Local Authority Business Growth Incentive Scheme has provided funding of almost £1 billion since 2005-06; welcomes support for businesses, including in ports, receiving unexpected and significant backdated rates bills by the introduction of an unprecedented eight years to pay; and believes these measures provide certainty, fairness and appropriate relief for businesses.
Driving Instruction (Suspension and Exemption Powers) Bill [Money]
Queen’s recommendation signified .
10.16 pm
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport (Paul Clark): I beg to move,
That, for the purposes of any Act resulting from the Driving Instruction (Suspension and Exemption Powers) Bill, it is expedient to authorise the payment out of money provided by Parliament of any expenditure incurred by the Secretary of State in consequence of the Act.
That also covers any increase attributable to the Act in the sums payable under any other Act out of money so provided.
On Second Reading, it was the will of the House that the Bill—introduced by the hon. Member for Dunfermline and West Fife (Willie Rennie)—be discussed in Committee. It will introduce a power for the suspension of driving instructors who pose a threat to members of the public.
The Bill will have expenditure implications for the public purse, which will relate to compensation payable to driving instructors who have been suspended but whose permission to give paid driving instruction is not subsequently revoked, or whose permission is reinstated on appeal. The level of expenditure is unlikely to be significant, as it is expected that very few cases will result in the awarding of compensation. However, approval for a money resolution is needed before the Committee can debate the issue fully. The hon. Member for Dunfermline and West Fife has previously explained to the House that he has a particular interest in the issue as a consequence of concerns raised by one of his constituents.
The overwhelming majority of driving instructors, having satisfied the registrar that they are “fit and proper” persons, remain so throughout their careers. Unfortunately, a small number do not. Hon. Members will be rightly anxious for adequate safeguards to cover circumstances in which persons are prevented from following their profession. To that end, I wish to reassure the House that the Bill provides for a satisfactory statutory compensation scheme for the reimbursement of losses suffered by a suspended instructor whose suspension is subsequently lifted, and who is permitted to resume giving paid instruction. That is why we need the money resolution, and on that basis I commend it to the House.
10.19 pm
Mr. Robert Goodwill (Scarborough and Whitby) (Con): We are experiencing a rare moment of genuine cross-party consensus. I will therefore keep my comments brief, not least because I do not wish to delay those who are waiting to hear the Adjournment debate, which will be opened by my hon. Friend the Member for Mid-Bedfordshire (Nadine Dorries).
I commend the hon. Member for Dunfermline and West Fife (Willie Rennie) for his tenacity. I also commend his constituent Lesley Anne Steele, who brought the issue to his attention and who played a pivotal role in bringing the Bill to this stage. I thank the Under-Secretary and his Department for bringing the Department’s resources into play in sorting out the complex legalities and financial instruments that we need to discuss, particularly as the measure offers no real political advantage to the
Labour party. In fact, if anything the advantage would be with the Liberal Democrats in a marginal seat. I also thank my colleagues on the Tory Back Benches, and some on the Labour Benches, who, as the perennial awkward squad, can often be relied on to block any private Member’s legislation, for seeing that this is what is termed a no-brainer as it involves realistic and sensible measures, and who therefore made sure we got to this stage today. We will be able to address the details in Committee on Wednesday, but the Bill closes an important loophole and means that a balance can be struck between the rights of approved driving instructors convicted of an offence and whether they can be considered a “fit and proper” person to be alone with a young learner, and our obligation to protect these young people.
Mr. Deputy Speaker (Sir Alan Haselhurst): Order. I think that I am obliged to say to the hon. Gentleman and the House in general that we are discussing the money resolution and we must not get into a debate about the substance of the Bill itself.
Mr. Goodwill: Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker.
The provision for compensation for those who are suspended and then subsequently cleared will probably be in the region of £60,000 per annum, given that maybe five or six people a year will be in such a situation. Consideration has been given to others such as school bus drivers, where the balance to be struck must be different. A person who has even just been arrested for an offence is to be immediately suspended. While I can see why the measure under discussion might have been taken a step further, given that we are not talking about vulnerable children or vulnerable adults with problems such as those we often encounter in care homes I think we have got the balance right. In cases where people are arrested as a result of investigations such as Operation Orr, the forensic examination of computers often takes many months, and in such cases the appeal would be much more expensive. I am very pleased that we have managed to reach this stage, and I look forward to debating the matter further in Committee on Wednesday.
10.22 pm
Willie Rennie (Dunfermline and West Fife) (LD): I am grateful to the Minister for bringing the money resolution before the House this evening. I shall keep my remarks brief, as it is 10.20 pm already, which is well past my bedtime. This issue arose from the case of Lesley Anne Steele in my constituency. She was sexually assaulted by a driving instructor, but the very next day after he was convicted he was out teaching another young girl to drive in the very same community. She came to me and we worked together to try to find out how this could possibly have happened. We discovered that there was a loophole in the law that allowed driving instructors to continue to operate for a further 45 days.
If we gain the power to suspend, this money resolution funds a compensation package so that on the rare occasion we get things wrong, compensation will be available. That is not unreasonable, as some people will lose in terms of both reputation and finance, as this might be their only source of earnings. We must have a compensation scheme to support those people who are
wrongly suspended or who successfully appeal against their suspension. I am grateful to the Minister for bringing this measure before the House. The Bill is important, and I hope we can discuss its measures in more detail in Committee on Wednesday.
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