§ MR. FINCH-HATTON (Notts, Newark)I beg to ask the President of the Local Government Board whether, the rateable value of a tenement having been reduced in the autumn of one year at the quinquennial valuation, the said reduction to take effect on 6th April of the ensuing year, a vestry or other rating authority is entitled during the ensuing year to demand rates under the old assessment, on the ground that the rates for the whole year are fixed in the month of March previous to the reduction taking effect, notwithstanding that the said rates are payable quarterly, the result being that rates are demanded during a period of 18 months on a rateable value which has been declared excessive?
§ MR. CHAPLINThe new valuation list comes in force on 6th April and only affects rates made after that date. The quarterly instalments payable in respect of a rate made in the preceding March 372 must therefore be based on the valuation in force at the time the rate was made. There is only one exception. If the rate made in March was made on the rateable value as fixed by a provisional list, and that value is more than the value fixed by the new list which comes in force in April, the amount of rate overpaid is to be repaid, and presumably any unpaid instalments are to be diminished accordingly.