§ Mr. GOULDasked the Minister of Health if he gan give any figures showing the result of the recent valuation of working-class dwellings under the Rating and Valuation Act, 1925, and inform the House whether the new assessment has had any visible effect on the immediate building programme?
§ Mr. GREENWOODI have no general information as to the effect of the revaluation on the assessments of working-class dwellings. I have no reason to think that it has had any appreciable effect on building programmes.
§ Mr. OLDFIELDasked the Minister of Health whether he is aware of the hardship caused by the rise in rateable value in certain districts since the passing of the Rating and Valuation Act; and whether he is prepared to consider a revision of the principles of rating to remedy this state of affairs?
§ Mr. GREENWOODIn view of the lack of uniformity which the Act of 1925 was designed to correct, alterations in the rateable value of certain districts are inevitable, but I have no reason to suppose that a revision of the principles of rating is called for on the grounds of hardship resulting from the general revaluation.
Mr. LEEasked the Minister of Health whether he has received any complaints respecting the manner in which the new 643W assessments of property under the Rating and Valuation Act, 1925, has been carried out; and whether he is satisfied that all the anomalies of assessment have been remedied, and that uniformity for which it was understood the Act was passed has been reached?
§ Mr. GREENWOODSome complaints have been addressed to my Department, but the matter is not one in which I am empowered to interfere with the discretion of the local authorities. I am not in a position to say to what extent uniformity has already been attained, but I would remind my hon. Friend that the Act of 1925 contains provisions for the amendment of valuation lists and that it is open to county valuation committees to examine the position in their areas in the light of the new valuation and to take such steps as may be necessary to correct serious anomalies.
Mr. LEEasked the Minister of Health whether he has had any communication from hospital and convalescent home Committees as to the method of assessment adopted under the Rating and Valuation Act, 1925, by the appointed assessors; whether he is aware that the assessment appears to have been made upon the capital expenditure of the buildings and had no regard to the purpose for which the buildings are being used, and that the recommendations of the central valuation committee have not been taken into consideration; and whether he will issue recommendations to rating authorities upon the matter?
§ Mr. GREENWOODSome communications as to the effect of the general re-valuation on hospitals and similar institutions have been addressed to my Department, but I have no general information as to how far the recommendations of the Central Valuation Committee with respect to the assessment of such hereditaments have been followed. The matter is not one in which I am empowered to interfere with the discretion of the Local Authorities, but it is open to any representative body to call the attention of the Central Valuation Committee to substantial departures from their recommendations and to submit suggestions to them on which, if necessary, more precise recommendations might be based.
§ Brigadier-General CLIFTON BROWNasked the Minister of Health whether he 644W is aware that, in consequence of the increase of assessments as a result of the Rating and Valuation Act, 1925, water rates where charged on rateable value have automatically increased; and whether, seeing that no greater value is given for the increased charges, he will introduce legislation with a view to an equitable adjustment?
§ Mr. GREENWOODI am aware of the position and am keeping it under review. I hope that water undertakers generally can be relied upon to make reasonable reductions of their water rates and that the need for legislation will not arise.