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Rates (Amendment) (Northern Ireland) Order 2006

My Lords, we have heard something about the figures and I am delighted to hear that the noble Baroness’s rates have gone down. But mine have gone up four times—of course I declare an interest—and they are now about five times as big as the Prime Minister’s. This is penalising some people. Of course I am one of them, but I am not the only one; I met someone at the airport today who has received an estimate of £9,000. This should bring it home that this will affect a number of people, some of whose incomes have not gone up and who do not have the money to sustain the increase.