RETROSPECTIVE BUSINESS RATES CHARGES ON PORT OPERATORS

That this House, in light of the injustice currently being done to port operators by demanding huge retrospective payments for new business rate assessment on top of the business rates they have already paid through the cumulo rent system, believes that, if the House of Lords reiterates its amendments stopping retrospective demands where they arise through faults on the part of the Valuation Agency, the Government should use the opportunity to listen to the ports, look seriously at the problem, and drop retrospective demands which are going to make many port operators insolvent and lose jobs and investment in ports; urges the Government to restore the basic and fair principle of business rating which is that new assessments which are not the fault of the ratepayer are not made retrospectively; and accordingly further urges the Government to act urgently to save the situation before local authorities are forced to initiate recovery proceedings, company accountants are compelled to indicate a potential insolvency in the accounts of port operators and ports are plunged into a disaster which is easily avoidable if only the Government will listen.