Business Rate Supplements Bill

My Lords, it seems that Third Reading is the third time that this issue has been raised. Some Members of the House were privy to an e-mail that came down from the Clerk of the Public Bill and Private Bill offices, which pointed out that the amendment is identical to that moved in Committee by the noble Baroness, Lady Hamwee, and to Amendment 36 moved on Report by the noble Lord, Lord Tope. At that time we indicated that we shared the concern that the funding should be carried out efficiently to allow maximum funds to be diverted to the project for which they were being raised. That has been placed on the record before. I should have declared earlier my interest as a business-rate taxpayer, if that is relevant in these circumstances. I refer noble Lords to my entry in the register.