Council Tax (New Valuation Lists for England) Bill

I am worried that as many hon. Members are citing areas in which they want revaluation, they seem to be supporting the view of the hon. Member for Southampton, Test that we might need to have a national one. Fortunately, there are a few hundred Members to go. I have had ample assistance in explaining why it is necessary to make this small amendment to the Bill. I suspect, however, that the Minister will not accept it, although it would give us the opportunity, in a funny way, to support both the Bill and the reasoned amendment moved by my hon. Friend the Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr. Pickles) on Second Reading. I say that with a touch of concern because when my hon. Friend the Member for Poole (Mr. Syms) made his winding-up speech on behalf of the Opposition on Second Reading, he said that he felt that my right hon. Friend the Member for Skipton and Ripon and I were not following the party line. Perhaps I can persuade him to follow the proper line rather than necessarily the party line in this particular case. That might even tempt the Minister to accept at least the drive of the amendment. If the Minister gives the matter careful thought, he will realise that the amendment could be useful. It would have been useful if such a provision had been included in the Bill, but I suspect that he rejected that opportunity, if it had even occurred to him, because it would have looked as if he were going for no national revaluation—at least not for a considerable time—which would have made his predecessor, the right hon. Member for Greenwich and Woolwich, who sat behind him on Second Reading, really upset, instead of just mildly upset.