Lord Wilson of Sedgefield (Lab)

We know that quite a few scams are going on. The industry—if I can call it that—has a very good way of evolving, changing and adapting, which is why we do not want to make any policy decisions prior t

As I mentioned in answer to my noble friend Lord McCabe, the Government are looking seriously at this. We laid out our plans in the Finance Act 2026 earlier this year. We realise that the issues raise

I accept that point. We have just introduced something to look at the impact we could have on shops that do not have any social responsibility, such as vape shops, through additional rates, et cetera,

We are talking about snails, so I do not know how quickly we will act on this. I will look into this and write to my noble friend.

I kindly say to the noble Lord that, at the last Budget, the Valuation Office announced updated property values from the 2026 revaluation. In recognition of the impact of the revaluation on bills, the

I accept what the noble Baroness is saying. The Government are committed to consulting on a general anti-avoidance rule, covering all local authorities. There is something similar in Scotland and Wale