Clause 62 - Submission of proposed rating lists
Local Government Bill
3:15 pm
Mr Christopher Leslie (Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office; Shipley, Labour)
It is a pleasure to reach part 5 at last. I hope that we can make good progress. Under the Local Government Finance Act 1988, all property has to be revalued every five years. The next such revaluation will take place on 1 April 2005. Sections 41(5) and 52(5) of that Act provide that valuation officers must have completed drafts of the new rating lists three months before the revaluation takes effect, and the drafts are then made available for ratepayers to inspect. Clause 62 requires that valuation officers complete the draft rating six months in advance of the revaluation, thereby allowing ratepayers more time to
plan ahead to meet changes in their rateable values. Giving more notice to ratepayers in that way and giving them greater opportunity to scrutinise the changes should be widely welcomed. Six months, not three months, is the right period to allow them.