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Council Tax (New Valuation Lists for England) Bill

Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker, for your firm chairing of this important debate. I emphasise the point that I would like to enter such a debate but I understand why it is not possible. My right hon. Friend the Member for Greenwich and Woolwich (Mr. Raynsford) made a characteristically well-informed and authoritative speech and argued against postponement of the revaluation. I again point out, to reassure him and my hon. Friend the Member for Colne Valley (Kali Mountford) who also spoke on the matter, that the Bill is a postponement not a cancellation. It may give Members further reassurance to know that the Government could have taken the option to propose simply to cancel the legislation in the Local Government 2003 Act, which amended the Local Government Finance Act 1992. We chose not to do that but to include in our Bill the commitment to introduce revaluation at the appropriate time, following the Lyons review. I hope that my right hon. Friend the Member for Greenwich and Woolwich will accept that reassurance.