Council Tax (New Valuation Lists for England) Bill

I am grateful to my hon. Friend for that intervention. When he winds up, I may raise with him the issue that I raised with the hon. Member for Braintree (Mr. Newmark) about the holding of council tax debts against the asset value of a property. We have to look at the structure and function of local government together, which is why the Lyons review is important and must be given proper consideration. We need a big melting pot, with all sorts of ideas thrown in. Whatever comes out, we need to take time to consider the recommendations. Local authorities are changing their function, partly as a matter of evolution and partly because their relationship with central Government has changed. What I call silo services, such as housing, planning, social services and education—the vertical arrangement of services—belong to the local authorities of the past. I am looking much more to local authorities taking a horizontal or co-ordinating role in those services, not only alongside providers from the local authority family but, through local strategic partnerships and local area agreements, bringing in other service providers.