To ask the Minister of Finance and Personnel to outline any initial findings from the responses to the consultation on the Rate Rebate Replacement Arrangements.

The preliminary consultation process officially closed on the 10th April, however, my Department extended the deadline for a week or so to afford those organisations that had met with my officials, a little more time to write up their formal responses.

All these responses will be presented in full on the Department’s website in a few days time and a summary report will also be published shortly.

Given the short period since the consultation closed it is too early to report findings. What I can say, however, is that the responses themselves broadly fell within two polarised camps.

The first advocating a consolidation or rationalisation of the existing range of rate support measures, as a means of preserving as much as possible the current coverage of the main rate rebate scheme.

The second – put forward reluctantly as the ‘least worst’ option - advocates a flat rate cut in entitlement to rate rebate across the board without cutting other support measures.

It is clear that the choices facing the Executive will not be easy ones.

My Department is modelling a range of options for me to present to the Executive to help Ministers decide on the preferred solution or solutions. This will then need to go out to a further round of public consultation, accompanied by an initial integrated impact assessment before final decisions are made in the Autumn.