Can the Minister confirm that my calculations are correct? Under the banding proposals for the new council tax, is the Secretary of State for the Environment likely to pay about £270 for his central London accommodation? That is rather less than the amount likely to be paid by a young couple of first-time buyers in Aberdeen, who will probably pay £280 for a £35,000 house or flat.

If those calculations are correct, will the Minister ask the Secretary of State whether he mentioned them in his speech yesterday evening in Aberdeen?