Rate cut would boost green businesses (Kirsty Williams AM )

Cymraeg
English

Kirsty Williams AM <info@kirstywilliams.org.uk>

Rate cut would boost green businesses

June 19, 2007 2:28 PM

Welsh Liberal Democrats will call for business rate cuts for green businesses to put wales at the forefront of the green revolution, in the Assembly tomorrow (Weds).

The Welsh Lib Dems will seek to amend an opposition motion on Wednesday so that it includes a section calling on the Assembly Government to seek the powers to enable such targeted reliefs to be introduced. Kirsty Williams AM, Welsh Lib Dem Assembly Spokesperson for economic development, believes that offering business rate relief will encourage businesses to act with greater environmental awareness and social responsibility.

Kirsty Williams AM, Welsh Lib Dem Assembly Spokesperson for economic development said:

"The use of business rate relief to encourage Welsh businesses to improve their environmental and social contributions is long overdue."

"We are calling on the Assembly Government to seek these powers which could make a real difference to the Welsh economy, environment and workforce."

"If a business chooses to; provide childcare for its employees, increase its energy efficiency or to put something back into the local community then the Assembly Government should support it through increases in rate relief."

"There is no point pretending that enough businesses will take action on their carbon emissions without some form of incentive in place. Through this scheme, many businesses will choose to make changes to their behaviour which will benefit everyone in Wales."

Notes

The original motion (NDM3616) calls on the Assembly Government to enhance and extend the business rate relief scheme and is supported by the Welsh Liberal Democrats.

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:

1. Recognises that businesses throughout Wales need to be encouraged to invest in order to expand, create more jobs and build a strong economy;

2. Calls on the Welsh Assembly Government to enhance and extend the business rate relief scheme at the earliest opportunity to make progress towards achieving this goal.

The Welsh Liberal Democrat amendment reads as follows:

Add new point

3. Recognises the contribution that the targeted reduction of business rates can make to encourage businesses to improve their environmental and social contributions, and calls on the Assembly Government to seek the powers to enable such targeted reliefs to be introduced.