division_name: Local Taxation
motion: <p class="" pid="b.22.3/1" pwmotiontext="yes">I beg to move,</p>
  
  <p class="" pid="b.22.3/2" pwmotiontext="yes">That this House notes with concern the increasing burden of local taxation; awaits the outcome of the Lyons Inquiry but rejects the proposals for a local income tax; asserts that a local income tax would entail higher taxation on hard-working families and crippling compliance costs on local businesses and would undermine the incentive to work; believes that council tax must be reformed, with the introduction of an automatic discount for pensioners and other measures, but rejects proposals to move from a local services tax based on fixed property bands to a wealth tax; calls on the Government to reject the Mayor of London's proposals for a regional income tax in London and to cancel its plans for a council tax revaluation and higher bands in England, which would be a further stealth tax, particularly on those living on fixed incomes.</p>
  
  <p class="" pid="b.30.2/1" pwmotiontext="yes">I beg to move, To leave out from "House" to the end of the Question, and to add instead thereof:</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="b.30.2/2" pwmotiontext="yes">"welcomes the Government's continuing support for local government with its 33 per cent. grant increase since 1997; notes that the average increase in council tax in 2005&#8211;06, at 4.1 per cent., is the lowest increase in a decade, the second lowest ever, and lower than the last three council tax settlements for which the previous Government was responsible; welcomes the Government's engagement with councils to facilitate the delivery of 2.5 per cent. annual efficiency gains in local government; and looks forward to the conclusions of Sir Michael Lyons's inquiry as an important contribution to securing a fair and sustainable system of local government finance for the future."</p>
  
  <p pid="b.80.2/1" pwmotiontext="yes"><i>Question put,</i> That the original words stand part of the Question:&#8212;</p>
  
  <p pid="b.80.2/2" pwmotiontext="yes"><i>The House divided:</i> Ayes 160, Noes 340.</p>