Business Rates

We do not need to take any lectures on supporting small businesses from a Government who upped their corporation tax rate and had to be almost shamed into deferring—only deferring, mind you—the final 1 per cent. of a 3 per cent. rise on small businesses' corporation tax. I am sorry if I do not sound very sympathetic to the hon. Gentleman's point, but to make a party political point when I have just talked about the problems and the business rates rises facing small businesses throughout Britain is really beyond the pale.