Part of 3. Topical Questions – in the Senedd at 3:30 pm on 13 December 2017.
Well, Llywydd, I don't think the spirit of Christmas entirely entered into the Member's question, because I think the extra support for childcare providers has been welcomed by that sector, and it's consistent with this Government's policy of being able to provide an extended level of childcare support for working parents. The extra money for local authorities is to help them to go on using their discretionary powers. We know their budgets are under pressure, and some of the areas where they have discretion to offer relief have come under pressure as a result. That extra money will allow local authorities to go on providing targeted relief to support local businesses, where that help is most needed.
I think I ought to have mentioned as well, Llywydd, that, in the announcement, I also made it clear that I have decided to use the money that has come to Wales in the budget to change the way in which the annual uplift in which business rates are calculated in Wales—to move it from retail prices index to consumer prices index. That by itself will be worth £9 million to businesses in Wales next year, and £22 million to businesses in the year after, and that's a very substantial additional support to businesses here in Wales.
On the general point that Mr Hamilton raises, however, I'm happy to say that we are already committed to a more fundamental look at the way in which taxes are raised in this area. Whether we will be able to do it in a way that links ability to pay to taxes paid is something that we will look at. But land value taxation, which it is often argued that, in a practical way, you would be best to try and introduce it in the field of non-domestic rates, rather than trying to do it in domestic rates, in the first instance—we're certainly committed to research that will look at the practical issues that will have to be addressed, if that way of raising money were preferable to the system we have currently.