§ 52. Sir I. Fraserasked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury what staff are employed on visiting and measuring houses for valuation purposes; and how far it is their practice first of all to see if there are plans of the said houses in the offices of the local authority.
§ The Financial Secretary to the Treasury (Mr. John Boyd-Carpenter)Some 1,500 staff are employed on this work. In the case of council houses and new and altered private houses they normally make use of any plans in the possession of the local authority.
§ Sir I. FraserIs my hon. Friend aware that in some small towns in my constituency it is believed that quite a number of amateurs are employed on this work? One would almost say that they are making jobs for themselves and they are not really doing the work as efficiently as it might be done.
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterAs my hon. Friend will, I know, be aware, this is the first general revaluation since 1934. It is a very big job. If my hon. Friend has any particulars of any case in which it has not been done as well as he thinks it should be done I shall be glad to look into it.
§ Mr. StokesWill the hon. Gentleman direct the attention of these officials to the Stag Brewery in Pimlico?
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterI would invite the right hon. Gentleman's attention to the answer which has just been given to him by my right hon. Friend.
§ Mr. StokesYes, but it was wholly unsatisfactory.