§ 56. Mr. PENNYasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give the cost of the Government district valuation offices and staffs; and whether he will consider, in view of the urgent necessity for economy, discontinuing these services, seeing that the undeveloped land duty and increment value duty have been abolished?
§ Mr. CHURCHILLThe annual cost of the staff in district valuation offices is about £250,000. The cost of offices is a matter upon which I must refer the hon. Member to my right hon. Friend the First Commissioner of Works. Both staff and 1148 expenditure in the valuation office have been greatly curtailed and strictly limited to the requirements of the present duties of the office of which the most important is the valuation of landed property for purposes of Estate Duty. A full list of the functions of the office will be found in Command Paper 918 of 1920.