§ Sir Bernard Braineasked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he has yet completed his discussions with the local authority associations on the question whether the present scale of statutory deductions from gross value for rating purposes, fixed in 1962, should be amended; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. RipponYes; my hon. Friend will be pleased to know, in view of his own representations to me on the matter and those of my hon. Friend the Member for Northants, South (Mr. Arthur Jones), that I have decided that it would be right to make certain changes to the scale in the light of up-to-date information about the increase since 1962 in the costs which these deductions represent. I propose to 513W lay before Parliament the requisite order in draft shortly with a view to the changes taking effect from 1st April 1974. The main effect will be to reduce by amounts ranging between £1 and £9 the rateable values of some 10 million dwellings at the lower end of the scale.