Liberal Democract Chief Secretary to the Treasury visits South West Herts

Liberal Democrat Chief Secretary to the Treasury, the Rt Hon Danny Alexander called in to South West Hertfordshire this eveningon a visit to Rickmansworth to meet local businessmen and councillors. After visiting shops and businesses in the town centre he met Cllr Ann Shaw OBE, Leader of Liberal Democrat-run Three Rivers District Council and was introduced to senior council officers and executive members. Mr Alexander praised the way that the Liberal Democrat administration had succeeded in keeping local finances under tight control while continuing to make service improvements for local residents.

Councillors also had an opportunity to discuss the difficulties caused in areas of high property values by the recent housing benefit cuts as well as the potentially huge increases in costs arising from Eric Pickle's pressure on councils to increase the frequency of waste collections.

Dacorum Borough Councillor Christopher Townsend and Hertfordshire County Councillor Nick Hollinghurst, both from Tring, were also present.

Nick Hollinghurst asked that the Treasury could review the current limit on co-firing biomass to replace coal in power stations. This limit had a financial origin in that the government was supporting a traded market in Renewable Obligation Certificates and the certificates could lose value if there was an increased replacement of coal by biomass. But this was exactly what we needed to reduce CO2 emissions and the support for the totally artificial values of the certificates in this traded "market" was actually hindering the UK in the achievement of its climate change targets. Mr Alexander promised to look into the matter and write back on the issue.

Christopher Townsend raised with the Chief Secretary the issue of VAT liabilities for the future maintenance of historic buildings, such as churches. He was told that the VAT change was to remove an anomaly whereby alterations or extensions to listed buildings used as residences benefited, but maintenance of listed buildings did not. This would put all such works for such buildings within the same tax regime. However, there was already an existing Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme, whereby VAT incurred for repair or maintenance by congregations or other parties responsible for the upkeep of listed places of worship could be reclaimed through a refund scheme operated by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport. Mr Alexander said that part of the current consultation about the introduction of the tax changes would look at the implications for churches and other historic buildings and look at the possible need to increase the size of the funds available under the VAT Refund Scheme