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Council Tax Capping (Surrey)

I am extremely grateful to my hon. Friend for securing the debate. Ten of the 11 Members of Parliament for Surrey constituencies are attending the debate. The only absentee is my hon. Friend the Member for Surrey Heath (Michael Gove), the shadow Secretary of State for Education, who is addressing a major education conference this morning. I hope that that fact will impress on the Minister the seriousness with which all Surrey MPs view the issue. My hon. Friend has been talking about neighbourhood specialist officers: I do not want such local intelligence to disappear from my area, not least because last night, Surrey police managed to arrest a burglar who attacked my premises in my constituency. I take this occasion to thank Surrey police for their rapid intervention and the welcome arrest of someone who will, I hope, be brought to justice in due course. My hon. Friend has done a singular service in securing the debate, and the Minister should be under no illusions as to how important the issue is in Surrey, and how insane the capping proposal is, when viewed in simple common-sense terms.