---

Business Rate Supplements Bill

My Lords, I am extremely grateful. In answer to the point made by the noble Lord, Lord Bates, this is not the first time I have tabled this amendment because I was hoping to get the clear answer that we have just received. I was certainly not seeking to pre-empt the consultation, but merely to get the assurance that we now have on the record that the primary legislation does not exclude the issue that I have explained. Regulations cannot change what will become an Act quite soon, so it is helpful to have that clarification of interpretation. I beg leave to withdraw the amendment. Amendment 3 withdrawn.