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Council Tax (New Valuation Lists for England) Bill

I thank the Minister and all Members for the support—mixed support. We have had a substantial discussion, much more so than I anticipated, and the spread of knowledge of local government finance has been incredible—from next to nothing to absolutely everything. As my right hon. Friend the Member for Suffolk, Coastal (Mr. Gummer) pointed out, the subject is difficult for people to understand. Clarity is needed, and that was part of the inspiration behind the amendment. The difficulty, however, is that because of the wording of the Bill, the amendment had to be very tight. I could only touch on some of the consequential effects and answer them in a way that would enable the amendment to be carried forward. I shall study the amendment and the Minister’s comments carefully, and we can return to the matter another day. For the moment, I beg to ask leave to withdraw the amendment.