Cracks appearing in Aggregates Levy

The British Aggregates Association (BAA) has welcomed today's (Friday) Northern Ireland Affairs Committee report which casts doubt on the future of the Aggregates Levy in its current form. 

"This report shows cracks are appearing in the Aggregates Levy," said BAA's director Bob Durward.

The Select Committee of MPs from all parties commented in the report: "It was apparent that. should the proposed relief scheme for Northern Ireland be rejected by the European Commission, the Treasury was unsure of the future of the Aggregates Levy in its current form either in relation to Northern Ireland or the UK as a whole."

Durward said: "The Aggregates Levy has proved immensely damaging to the aggregates industry in Northern Ireland, encouraging the illegal use of untaxed aggregate and a significant rise in unlicensed quarrying. 

"Customs and Excise has been unable to properly enforce the Levy. The Treasury itself admitted to the Committee that it is unlikely to meet the environmental aims of the Levy in Northern Ireland.

"However, the problems are not confined to Northern Ireland - evidence is continuing to emerge that similar environmental and economic damage is being caused by the Levy throughout the UK," he said. 

"The BAA has consistently highlighted the many problems with the Aggregates Levy since it was first proposed.  We urge the Treasury to address these problems and abandon the Levy."