Business Rate Write-Offs And Newcastle-Under-lyme Council

EDM number 1183 in 2009-10, proposed by Paul Farrelly on 24/03/2010.
Categorised under the topic of Incomes and poverty.

That this House is dismayed at the conduct of the Conservative-led cabinet of Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council in again writing-off, behind closed doors, business rates owed by companies connected to former Councillor Peter Whieldon; believes it has again failed to show leadership by not making public comment about Mr Whieldon and his associates' continuing shameless conduct; notes that this is the fourth time in four years it has written off, in secret, debts owed by their insolvent companies; further notes that the £22,608 and £9,248 written off today in respect of Stones Entertainment Limited (The Albion Inn) and T1V Limited (Union, former Bull's Vaults) brings to £91,128 the rates their collapsed companies have avoided paying in Newcastle; notes, too, that total bad debts left behind by their trail of insolvencies in North Staffordshire now tops £1.6 million, including over £250,000 to HM Revenue and Customs; notes also that honest traders in town, who pay their dues, are appalled by this conduct and the council's lack of courage; calls, therefore, on Companies Investigation Branch and the Registrar of Companies to swiftly conclude enquiries into directors' and shadow directors' conduct at the 13 companies which have serially collapsed; and calls further on the Leader of Newcastle Council and members of its cabinet to join the hon. Member for Newcastle-under-Lyme in asking HM Revenue and Customs to review the tax affairs of those involved and for Staffordshire Police, in co-operation with all agencies, to investigate prima facie evidence of a long-running conspiracy to defraud creditors.

This motion has been signed by a total of 12 MPs.