Council Tax (New Valuation Lists for England) Bill

I was about to make the same point, Madam Deputy Speaker. I would be glad to debate the merits of local income tax on a different occasion, but we are discussing a particular amendment to a particular Bill, which is very narrow in its scope. If we were to adopt the system proposed by the hon. Member for Mole Valley, because income is distributed more evenly than property values the equalisation system would be easier to manage and less difficult to make work. Nevertheless, the central objection to amendment No. 3 is that the system, which is a good idea, would not appear in the Bill. If amendment No. 3 were passed, it would make the Bill worse rather than better. I urge him not to press his amendment to a vote and, perhaps, to discuss the matter with his noble Friends in another place to allow the introduction of a different version of the amendment that deals with the problems raised in the course of the debate.