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Business Rate Supplements Bill

My Lords, I shall speak to the other amendment in the group as well. These are minor, technical amendments to those approved by this House on Report last week requiring a ballot on all proposed business rate supplements. The amendments to Clauses 4 and 10 inadvertently created contradictions with existing provisions in the Bill, which are resolved by the amendments today. It remains the case that the Government do not agree with the principle behind the amendments made—we do not think a ballot in all cases is the right approach—but I assure noble Lords that these amendments do not change the intended effect of the amendments approved by the House on Report and simply ensure that there can be no scope for confusion or uncertainty. I beg to move.