---

Council Tax (New Valuation Lists for England) Bill

I thank my right hon. Friend for his generosity in giving way again. Without wanting to get too bogged down in demolition, may I remind him that there is another important facet? To continue my example, if someone wants to knock down an old housing estate and redevelop it with a housing association, that often involves tenants voting for a transfer—say, from the council to the housing association. For the redevelopment to go ahead, the tenants have to vote for it positively. I have been involved in such cases. In the real world, the tenants want to know what the additional costs will be—first, what will happen to their rent, and secondly and increasingly, what effect will moving into the new properties have on their council tax? That can affect how they vote in the ballot, and thus whether the whole redevelopment goes ahead. Does my right hon. Friend agree that having such information available could be important in allowing the redevelopment of some of the worst estates in the country?