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Council Tax (New Valuation Lists for England) Bill

I rise to make a few points about the amendment. It is a pleasure to follow my hon. Friend the Member for Northampton, South (Mr. Binley), who is in effect the chancellor of Northamptonshire in this context. I wish him good luck with the challenges that he faces. On Report, we can debate only the amendments that are before the House. I have some reservations about the way in which amendment No. 3 is worded and shall try to explain the reason for my concern. I have some sympathy with what my hon. Friend the Member for Mole Valley (Sir Paul Beresford) is trying to achieve, but I think, in all sincerity, that he may have tripped himself up slightly. Let me refer to new clause 1(2) to illustrate my point. That would give the Secretary of State a top-down power to permit a localised revaluation, which is the spirit of what my hon. Friend is trying to achieve in the amendment, but would also allow for a bottom-up request to the Secretary of State to exercise that power. I am worried that the way in which amendment No. 3 is drafted could allow the Secretary of State to decide, for some arbitrary reason—