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Rating (Empty Properties) Bill

I support the amendments and I am particularly grateful to my right hon. Friend the Member for Suffolk, Coastal (Mr. Gummer) for concluding his remarks with a complaint about the manner in which the Government chose to introduce the Bill to the House. I remind the Committee that it is the fourth largest revenue-raising measure announced in the Budget, yet it has been dealt with inadequately, as is evident by the scale of the amendment. The inadequacy lies not least in the amount of time given to the House to consider the measure, which was not part of the Finance Bill, but also in the fact that we have had no sight of the regulations that might, had they been produced before Committee, have enabled us to consider reducing the scope of the amendment. That is not to say that the proposals are not important in themselves, because they would include exemptions in the Bill rather than leaving them to be introduced under regulation. It is symptomatic of the way in which the Government try to conduct their business that they mask their true intent by not providing regulations in good time, as we are considering the legislation. The Minister looks quizzical—does he want to correct me?