§ 1. Mr. Ridleyasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs what estimate he has made of the average change in the rates which householders in Gloucestershire will have to pay following revaluation, assuming the county council incur the same expenditure as during the current year.
§ The Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs (Sir Keith Joseph)I would refer my hon. Friend to the estimate in the White Paper published last March. I hope within the next few weeks to publish analyses showing for each county, county borough and metropolitan borough the 208 distribution of rateable value among the main classes of property in the old and new lists.
§ Mr. RidleyDo I take it from that reply that the average share which householders in Gloucestershire may be asked to pay might decrease by 4 per cent. if the expenditure remains the same? Would my right hon. Friend agree that if rates rise it will be because better services are being provided by the local authority?
§ Sir K. JosephI think I can safely agree to the last part of my hon. Friend's supplementary question. As to the first part, however, I must ask him to be patient until I publish the analyses.