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Business Rate Supplements Bill

My Lords, on behalf of the Back-Benchers, not very many of whom took part in this Bill, I, too, thank the succession of Ministers—a sort of relay race of Ministers—that we have had, one after the other, for the very full answers that they have given. I hope that I am not disclosing any secrets but, at one point this morning, I was informed by the Government Whips’ Office that it would not be the noble Lord, Lord McKenzie of Luton, who would be handling the Bill this afternoon but the noble Lord, Lord Young of Norwood Green. I then had an urgent telephone call from the government Whips, who said, "No, no, no, it won’t be Lord Young, it will be Lord McKenzie". So I said, "I know Lord McKenzie, so that’s all right". That is, if I may say so, a pretty strange way to conduct a Government. I am most grateful to my noble friend for his kind remarks and, as I say, I am grateful for the very full answers, which, I know, have gone a long way towards satisfying those outside who have been anxious about this. Bill passed and returned to the Commons with amendments.