HC Deb 21 February 1927 vol 202 cc1397-8
52. Lieut.-Colonel Sir FREDERICK HALL

asked the Minister of Health if he is aware of the objections entertained by rating surveyors and valuers to the creation of county valuers as recommended by the Central Valuation Committee under the Rating and Valuation Act, 1925, to report on properties to be included in the new valuation lists; and whether, seeing that it would be beneficial alike to the State, the local authorities, and the public to adopt instead completely independent valuers, he will reconsider the matter?

The PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY to the MINISTRY of HEALTH (Sir Kingsley Wood)

Yes, Sir; certain representations have been made to my right hon. Friend on this matter. He finds nothing in the recommendations of the Central Valuation Committee, which is a body representing all classes of local authority, to discourage the employment of independent valuers in connection with the assessment of certain classes of property. The recommendations, which are intended to secure co-operation between valuers so employed by rating authorities and any valuer employed or retained by a County Valuation Committee to advise them, appear to my right hon. Friend to offer a reasonable prospect of effective co-ordinating the work of valuation within each county.

Sir F. HALL

Does not my hon. Friend recognise that the appointment of these county valuers would have the same disastrous effect upon valuations as that which followed under the Finance Act, 1910?

Sir K. WOOD

No, Sir; I do not think the two sets of circumstances are comparable. This is a unanimous recommendation of the Central Valuation Committee. My hon. Friend will find that in their Report there is a recommendation as to the appointment of county valuers in certain cases.

Sir F. HALL

Does my hon. Friend recollect the chaos which followed the appointment of the valuators under the Finance Act, 1910, and does it not appear to him that, if such appointments were to be made now, and the valuations were to be taken by county valuers, it would lead to a repetition of the same state of things?

Mr. SPEAKER

That question has been answered.