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Business Rate Supplements Bill

I know that the right hon. Gentleman is in a difficult situation, as candidates for anything sometimes are, but with every respect to him, he will know perfectly well—I mean this in a good-natured way—that we did not vote against a previous measure because it would have removed a measure of protection. Those of us who genuinely feel that the Government have been led into error now have an opportunity to agree on some common ground. I stress that the problem did not start as the fault of a Minister; it started with the incompetence of the Valuation Office Agency. Frankly, it is the people in the VOA who should ultimately be held to account, but I am afraid that it might be too late by the time someone is in a position to do so.