§ 6. Mr. Lambieasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what further representations he has received from ratepayers in Kyle and Carrick and Cunninghame districts protesting about the effect of the revaluation.
§ 15. Mr. MacCormickasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the representations he has received to date regarding the current revaluation in Scotland.
§ Mr. MillanI have received a total of 951 representations regarding the current revaluation in Scotland. These include a further 885 from Kyle and Carrick district and a further four from Cunninghame district since my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Central Ayrshire (Mr. Lambie) on 15th March.
§ Mr. LambieIs my right hon. Friend aware that these figures—I have many more letters to send on to him—show great anger among the ratepayers, especially among the ratepayers of the town of Troon? Is my right hon. Friend further aware that although, in valuing property, the assessor has to consider certain principles common to all properties within all the areas of Scotland, these figures show that there has been discrimination against the ratepayers of the Kyle and Carrick and Cunninghame districts? Will my right hon. Friend now agree to reconsider his previous decision and allow an inquiry into this discrimination, or, if it is not possible, to refer the 427 whole matter back to COSLA for its consideration and advice?
§ Mr. MillanMy hon. Friend and others have made the charge of discrimination before. I can give only the answer that I gave before, that there are appeal procedures available. I have advised ratepayers who are aggrieved with the valuations to challenge them in their local valuation appeals committees. That is where the matter must be tested. If, the appeals having been made there, there were any evidence of discrimination, I should be willing to look at the matter further. However, the ratepayers—I say this, I hope, without offence and without complaint—would be better directing their appeals to the local valuation appeals committee than writing to me, because I am not able to deal with their appeals. They must be dealt with in these local appeals committees.
§ Mr. MacCormickDoes the Secretary of State appreciate that where whole areas are being discriminated against it is difficult to appeal? As far as I can make out, it is not possible to appeal in any meaningful sense. Bearing that in mind, and in view of what the hon. Member for Central Ayrshire (Mr. Lambie) said and also that Argyll is second only to one district in Ayrshire in the way in which it has been hit, is it not time that the Secretary of State acted to help people of all income classes in these areas to prevent them from being subjected to this absolute imposition?
§ Mr. MillanI reject the proposition that there has been discrimination. If it can be proved that there has been discrimination, I shall look at the matter again, but no evidence has been adduced so far for that proposition. Inevitably when there is a revaluation some areas come off better than others. If there were no relative changes in valuation, either between areas or between individual ratepayers, there would not be any purpose in having a revaluation. I repeat—I said the same thing in the hon. Gentleman's constituency when I was there the other day—that people who are aggrieved with valuations must go through the normal local appeals procedure. I advise them strongly to do that.
§ Mr. William RossIs my right hon. Friend aware that I have received a flood 428 of protests from the town of Troon—many of which I received via Londonderry? Is he further aware that I have in interest to declare? I am a victim as a resident of Kyle and Carrick. Bearing in mind that there is a very general feeling of discrimination, and appreciating that my right hon. Friend cannot deal with the question of appeals—his advice is right on that matter—does he think that it would be worth while sending this matter for consideration by the Scottish Valuation Advisory Council?
§ Mr. MillanI shall certainly consider that suggestion. I do not think that at the moment I have a matter which I could appropriately refer to the Scottish Valuation Advisory Council. If I had any evidence of irregularity or genuine discrimination, I would consider that matter. It may be that it would then be appropriate to put the matter to the council. I do not think that it would be appropriate now, but I shall consider what my right hon. Friend has said.
§ Mr. GrimondWhat steps can the Secretary of State take about the position in Orkney, where a very steep increase in rates is due not for services provided for the local people but for services provided for the oil industry? Does he not think that it is time that we had another look at the Layfield Report?
§ Mr. MillanThat is a different question. Valuations have increased in Orkney more than elsewhere. But the valuations in Orkney were written very low compared with those in the rest of Scotland before the latest revaluation. Therefore, one has to take that into account also. The valuation principles are the same everywhere in Scotland. It is not particularly surprising, in view of the increased level of economic activity in Orkney in recent years in relation to oil, that the valuation should have increased disproportionately there.
§ Mr. YoungerHas the Secretary of State received a document from Kyle and Carrick District Council which demonstrates perfectly clearly that apart from individual increases there is a general increase in valuation which is much greater than that in other parts of Strathclyde? This has two effects. First, many individuals feel greatly aggrieved when they have to pay a 30 per cent. to 40 429 per cent. increase in rates at a time when wage increases are pegged to 10 per cent. Secondly, commercial interests are quite clear that this can result only in increased unemployment.
§ Mr. MillanI am aware that the valuations in the area of Kyle and Carrick have increased more than they have elsewhere. That applies to Ayrshire as a whole. That does not mean to say that the new valuations are too high. It could equally follow that the old valuations were too low.