Council Tax (New Valuation Lists for England) Bill

I understand that point and accept the dangers. However, I see the matter from a local government perspective, and I am sure that my hon. Friend does, too. On balance, it is in the interests of local authorities to take such action. Turning to my other points, first, as I have said in this House and Westminster Hall, there is considerable uncertainty in local government that ranges from the revaluation being put off to the Lyons report. I therefore believe that we should give local authorities the opportunity to exercise at least some power, and I repeat the point that there is power in the ability to appeal to the Secretary of State. Unless we give local authorities some power in that respect, we will diminish them to the point where they become almost worthless. I want to increase, not decrease, their powers, and the amendment would achieve that. Secondly, the degree of unfairness increases with every year that goes by when a revaluation does not take place. That must be so, because the need for revaluation is based on creating a fairness taking into account local changes. The amendment would enable local authorities to recognise those changes instead of being forced by a Government into a situation whereby unfairness increases. That would increase the value of local authorities in this respect. Thirdly, there is no doubt that, by the very nature of the Government’s decision on revaluation, local authorities will be increasingly under pressure with regard to appeals. My own local authority fears that as unfairness increases, so will appeals and complaints. Council tax payers put the whole issue of local taxation under considerable scrutiny as it becomes increasingly unfair. The amendment would give an outlet to local authorities in at least being seen to do something on behalf of their council tax payers.