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Stephen Gilbert MPCornwall's voice in the Commons |
GILBERT WELCOMES THE END OF THE SECOND HOME COUNCIL TAX DISCOUNT
May 23, 2012 12:13 PM
Stephen Gilbert, the Liberal Democrat MP for mid-Cornwall, has welcomed the Coalition Government's action to end the Council Tax discount for second home owners.
The Government's proposal, included in the Local Government Finance Bill, had its third reading in the House of Commons yesterday and has now progressed to the House of Lords for approval.
Commenting, Stephen Gilbert welcomed the move, saying:
"Second homes are a blight on our communities, they take the heart out of our towns and villages and drive up house prices forcing local families to move elsewhere. It is right that the Government have given local authorities the option to end the Council Tax discount for second homes, but we can and should go even further."
A number of Liberal Democrat MPs, including Stephen Gilbert, proposed an amendment to the Bill that would have allowed local authorities to have charged a Council Tax premium to second home owners.
While the Government did not accept the amendment as part of the existing Bill, the Liberal Democrat Minister, Andrew Stunell, did offer to continue to work with the MPs proposing the amendment to investigate the possibilities of a future policy to this effect.
In his response, the Minister said:
"I am sure that, in the years ahead, he and I will work jointly on proposals for a Liberal Democrat Government beyond 2015, and I look forward to working with him on that proposition."
Stephen Gilbert added:
"I will be taking up the Minister's offer to work with him and develop a policy of raising second home Council Tax to an even higher rate in the future."