Part of the debate – in the House of Commons am 12:00 am ar 20 Rhagfyr 1973.
This is something which is found each year by the local authorities and the taxpayers. My right hon. Friend did not say that there would not be a penny increase in the rates. He said that there would not be an increase, due to the reductions which he was asking for.
The hon. Member for Small Heath was quite right in saying that my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State had mentioned an increase in the domestic rates of probably 7 per cent. This is a fairly low figure compared with the increases we have seen over past years, a deliberate endeavour to keep down the increase in rates which we have seen over each year in the past, and it is based on an inflation figure which has been discussed and agreed with the local authority associations.