REVOCATION OF CLOSING ORDER AS RESPECTS PART OF PREMISES TO WHICH IT RELATES (Hansard, 10 May 1976)

Mr. Barnett
I beg to move Amendment No. 15, in page 8, line 33, leave out paragraphs (a) and (b) and insert: '(a) in a case where the payment was not reduced in pursuance of paragraph 4(4) of Schedule 2 to the said Act of 1957 or paragraph 3(1) of Schedule 5 to the said Act of 1969, the fraction obtained by dividing the rateable value of the part of the premises in question at the time when the closing order was made by the rateable value of the premises at that time; (b) in a case where the payment was so reduced, the fraction obtained by dividing the rateable value at that time of so much of the part of the premises in question as was used for the purposes of a private dwelling by the rateable value at that time of so much of the premises as was so used'.

§ Mr. Speaker
With this we are to discuss Government Amendment No. 16.

Mr. Barnett
Local authorities must determine a closing order made on an 104 unfit house if the property the subject of the order is made fit. Clause 9 provides that an authority must determine a closing order in respect of part of the premises if that part has been made fit.
Section 69 of the Housing Act 1969 provides that when a closing order is determined, compensation payments made to owner-occupiers or payments made for good maintenance to owners should in certain circumstances be repaid to the authority. Clause 9(3) provides that where a closing order is determined in part an appropriate fraction of the payments should be repaid.
Subsections (4) and (5) as drafted provide that in the case of payments for good maintenance the appropriate fraction should be based on the rateable value of the premises and the appropriate part thereof respectively. In the case of compensation payments to owner-occupiers, it should he based on the respective floor areas.
We consider that apportionment on the basis of rateable value would be simpler and more practicable for valuers. There is already in the Housing Act 1957 a provision for apportioning rateable values which is of long standing and is well understood. The amendments provide for a common basis of apportionment based on rateable value.