---

Business Rate Supplements Bill

My Lords, before the Minister sits down, I am very grateful to him for that response. We have already made it clear that time is now very tight. Can he say more specifically when the Government expect to be able to give their response to the consultation? He said in reply to the noble Lord, Lord Jenkin, "the autumn". We know from experience that autumn, like any other season, can extend for quite a long period. I know that the Minister is aware of the very tight timescale in London. I hope that he may be able to say now that, at the very least, it will be early autumn, not late autumn.