Recommendations of the Responsibilities Working Group Purpose of this paper To seek the Steering Group’s views on the conclusion by the Responsibilities Working Group that: The working group should be suspended until any future primary legislative slot is secured by the Government to implement 100% BRR, although it may be called upon on an ad-hoc basis; Given the differing positions of the Government and the LGA, the most appropriate level of BRR to be reached through devolving responsibilities was (on current values) approximately 75%. However: existing funding pressures should be considered first before any further responsibilities are devolved; retention of growth should at least match retention of business rates stock; and 100% BRR should be the eventual position. Background On 3 October 2017 the BRR Steering Group met for the first time since the General Election. The Group discussed the next steps on further business rates retention and how this interacted with the Steering and Working Groups. Following this discussion, it was suggested that at this stage, the Devolution of Responsibilities working group had taken its work as far forward as possible and therefore should be closed in its current format. The Steering Group indicated that they would like to be able to call upon the working group on an ad-hoc basis as new areas of work arise from their meetings. This was discussed at the Responsibilities Working Group meeting on 9 November 2017 and provides a summary of the group’s activities and achievements. The Group also discussed three key questions on its future: Do the group agree with the Steering Group’s proposal to close the working group, and was the group content to be called upon on an ad-hoc basis? What is the appropriate level of business rates retention to be reached through devolving responsibilities? I.e. is the current approximate 75% retention figure the maximum or should further responsibilities be devolved to go beyond this? If further responsibilities should be devolved, does the group have suggestions as to what they should be? Progress to date The Working Group was established in April 2016 with a remit to provide advice on a package or packages of responsibilities that could be devolved to local government in implementing business rates retention. It took a structured approach to the issue: Establishment of criteria for devolved responsibilities Before seeking to identify or debate particular candidates for devolution, the group established a set of guiding criteria to help inform decisions on the suitability of
Recommendations of the Responsibilities Working Group Purpose of this paper To seek the Steering Group’s views on the conclusion by the Responsibilities Working Group that: The working group should be suspended until any future primary legislative slot is secured by the Government to implement 100% BRR, although it may be called upon on an ad-hoc basis; Given the differing positions of the Government and the LGA, the most appropriate level of BRR to be reached through devolving responsibilities was (on current values) approximately 75%. However: existing funding pressures should be considered first before any further responsibilities are devolved; retention of growth should at least match retention of business rates stock; and 100% BRR should be the eventual position. Background On 3 October 2017 the BRR Steering Group met for the first time since the General Election. The Group discussed the next steps on further business rates retention and how this interacted with the Steering and Working Groups. Following this discussion, it was suggested that at this stage, the Devolution of Responsibilities working group had taken its work as far forward as possible and therefore should be closed in its current format. The Steering Group indicated that they would like to be able to call upon the working group on an ad-hoc basis as new areas of work arise from their meetings. This was discussed at the Responsibilities Working Group meeting on 9 November 2017 and provides a summary of the group’s activities and achievements. The Group also discussed three key questions on its future: Do the group agree with the Steering Group’s proposal to close the working group, and was the group content to be called upon on an ad-hoc basis? What is the appropriate level of business rates retention to be reached through devolving responsibilities? I.e. is the current approximate 75% retention figure the maximum or should further responsibilities be devolved to go beyond this? If further responsibilities should be devolved, does the group have suggestions as to what they should be? Progress to date The Working Group was established in April 2016 with a remit to provide advice on a package or packages of responsibilities that could be devolved to local government in implementing business rates retention. It took a structured approach to the issue: Establishment of criteria for devolved responsibilities Before seeking to identify or debate particular candidates for devolution, the group established a set of guiding criteria to help inform decisions on the suitability of