Council Tax (New Valuation Lists for England) Bill

My Lords, I thank the noble Baroness for that reply. The reason for the revaluation postponement or delay is Sir Michael Lyons’s report; we have recognised from the outset that that is the rationale for the postponement. Now there is also the other intervention of the Miliband review. There is now a very wide review of not only local government structures but local government procedures, council tax and finance. It seems to us that, with all of that, if the Government are to accept any of Sir Michael Lyons’s recommendations—and bearing in mind that Mr Miliband is running around doing behind-the-scenes consultation on the structures which are not subject to a formal consultation paper, as I was trying to point out at Question Time—it will be extremely difficult for them to avoid having to come back with primary legislation. I hear what the noble Baroness says. I think that we will have to disagree about what should happen on revaluation. Our view, as I hope I have made clear, is that with Sir Michael Lyons’s intervention and now with the Miliband review, this thing ought to fade away. There should be, not a postponement, but an end to revaluation. If the Government wish to revalue at some stage because the council tax is in the same form then they should come back with primary legislation. Meanwhile, I beg leave to withdraw the amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.