Council Tax (New Valuation Lists for England) Bill

The amendment leaves me more confused about the Opposition’s real intentions with regard to revaluation and the need for it or not. As we highlighted in our response to Amendment No. 3, on the one hand we are told that they have changed their mind about their policy and no longer see the need for it; on the other hand, this amendment would effectively mean that revaluation would have to happen, at the very least, on a regular 10-year cycle. The Liberal Democrats seem to want it to happen annually—that is my reading of their previous amendment—while the Conservatives want to have it every 10 years. Furthermore, they want more parliamentary scrutiny over the date-setting powers of the Secretary of State—a debate we will have under Amendment No. 6. On the basis of this amendment, they appear to be happy for revaluation to happen at pre-determined intervals, regardless of the prevailing circumstances and the need for it, and without any need for Parliament to scrutinise that timing.