Rating (Empty Properties) Bill

Indeed, the matter did come up—I had forgotten. There is no intention in the Bill to change policy on exemptions. However, partly because of the point that the right hon. Gentleman made and partly as a matter of good governance, we intend to consult on those matters in the summer. To provide the flexibility that Sir Nicholas Ridley needed and that is still required, it would be wrong to include the exemptions in primary legislation because it would lock them in and not allow us to decrease the rates as well as increasing them.