Council Tax (New Valuation Lists for England) Bill

Will the noble Lord give way? It may stand alone but my noble friend Lord Hanningfield explained very precisely the fact that revaluation has happened in Wales, and what happened there was disastrous. Therefore, if the revaluation in England is to be predicated on what happened in Wales, it is likely to bring about everyone’s worst thoughts and anxieties. That was the point but I do not think that the Minister answered it. If I had spoken to the Question whether Clause 1 should stand part of the Bill, the Minister’s reply would have been very appropriate and apt. Perhaps if I speak to Clause 1 stand part, he will be able to give that answer all over again. That is what it related to. This issue concerns the effect of a revaluation and what would happen. The noble Lord keeps on saying, as have Ministers in the other place, that any council tax revaluation will be revenue-neutral. That simply means that the same amount of council grant may or may not be given and will then possibly be allocated against a rebanding. By no means will it be revenue-neutral for the people whose bands go up. So far as they are concerned, there will be a big hike in the council tax on top of the 25 per cent increase that we have already seen over the past few years. I do not think that the noble Lord dealt with any of that. I believe that that was what my noble friend was addressing and perhaps we can get back to it.