§ 26. Mr. Woodhouseasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if, on the completion of new valuation lists under Section 68 of the General Rate Act 1967, he will introduce legislation to remove the limitations in terms of rateable values from Section 1 of the Leasehold Reform Act 1967.
§ Mr. Eldon GriffithsNo, Sir. This is not necessary. The rateable value determining whether or not a dwelling is within the provisions of the Leasehold Reform Act 1967 is, for houses which were then built, the one shown in the valuation list on 23rd March 1965.
§ Mr. WoodhouseWill not my hon. Friend recognise, regardless of his reply, that all I am asking of him is the fulfilment of a pledge given by the Conservative Party Front Bench spokesman while in opposition?
§ Mr. GriffithsWithout notice of it, I am not clear which is the point to which my hon. Friend is referring. But I shall be glad to take it up with him and to get my right hon. and learned Friend to reply in detail.
§ Mr. AllasonIs my hon. Friend aware that during the Committee stage of that Bill this disqualification of higher-rated properties was removed and that it was only put back for some peculiar reason on Report in spite of the almost unanimous wish of the Committee?
§ Mr. GriffithsMy hon. Friend will recognise that this Act is by no means of our devising. Nevertheless, we are confronted with the situation that there is this arbitrary rateable value limit of £200 outside London, and it is difficult to change it since so many transactions have taken place under the existing provisions.