§ 27. Mr. Lipsonasked the Minister of Health if he has considered the information sent to him concerning certain properties in Cheltenham, which have been re-assessed and the revised assessment dated back to the beginning of the current financial year, resulting in certain instances in back payments of several hundreds of pounds; and whether he will take steps to introduce amending legislation so that proposals for the amendment of the valuation list shall have effect only from the date of their service.
§ Mr. BevanI have considered this information, but I do not think there is any reason to change the basis for he operative date of a proposal.
§ Mr. LipsonIf the right hon. Gentleman is not able to do that, may I ask him whether he will suggest to local authorities that an area should not have its assessments revised piecemeal but should be taken as a whole, and that the operating date should be as near as possible to such time as will not involve any considerable back-dating, which causes considerable hardship to many people?
§ Mr. BevanIf property is assessed upwards, it will mean, of course, that the ratepayers have been paying less before. To put it back to the date of the precept is a compromise which favours the ratepayer.