Tories Vote Against Giving Assembly Powers to Lower Council Tax for Service Personnel

12.00.00am GMT Fri 26th Feb 2010

The decision by the Conservatives to oppose drawing down more powers on sustainable housing will also prevent the Welsh Government from introducing legislation to give serving members of the armed forces a 50% reduction in their Council Tax as currently happens in England, said Welsh Liberal Democrat Assembly member Michael German.

The Minister for Social Justice and Local Government pledged in the Assembly Plenary on 7th October 2009 that he would legislate to give service personnel a 50% discount on their Council Tax. That promise came after all-party pressure for equal treatment for members of the armed forces from Wales compared with their English colleagues.

However, to give effect to this promise it was necessary to draw down additional powers, a request which was contained in the Sustainable Housing LCO being debated by the Assembly today and which the Tories have opposed.

Michael German said: "There are no shades of grey in the decision of the Tories to vote against this request for powers. They may not be happy about proposed changes to the right to buy but the appropriate place to oppose these is when a measure is in front of the Assembly. The fact is that today, they have voted to prevent the Assembly legislating on homelessness, on housing tenure and on giving our service personnel a fair deal on Council Tax.

Mr. German added, "I am concerned that if this LCO ends up in the bargaining process following the prorogation of Parliament then the Conservative Party will block it on an obscure and illogical technicality and that as a result we will lose an opportunity to pass important legislation to help Welsh Service Personnel. For a party who supposedly support our armed forces that is a disgraceful position for the Tories to take."