§ Mr. Wilsonasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the level of domestic rate relief in each of the past 10 years.
§ Mr. AncramThe information is as follows:
Financial year Pence in the pound of rateable value p Equivalent in domestic element of rate support grant £ million 1976–77 27 42.2 1977–78 31 49.7 1978–79 3 13.4 1979–80 3 13.5 1980–81 3 13.8 1981–82 3 14.1 1982–83 3 14.1 1983–84 3 14.3 1984–85 3 14.4 1985–86 8 102.9 Note: The significant changes in the level of domestic rate relief in 1978–79 and 1985–86 reflect the effects of rating revaluation held in those years.
§ Mr. Wilsonasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the average unrebated domestic rates bill in the year 1984–85 and in each of the previous 12 years.
§ Mr. AncramEstimated average domestic rate bills for Scotland (including water rates) are shown in the table below:
40W
Local authority financial year £ 1972–73 (May-May) 66 1973–74 71 1974–75 83 1975–76 (May-March) *108 1976–77 (April-March) 123 1977–78 139 1978–79 132 1979–80 149 1980–81 199 1981–82 272 1982–83 310 1983–84 310 1984–85 328 * 10½ months. Since 1976, these figures have been contained in the publication "Rating Review" regularly issued by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy. Copies are available in the Library.
§ Mr. Gordon Wilsonasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what statistics he has to show the level of (a) domestic rates, (b) commercial rates and (c) industrial rates for comparative properties in (i) Scotland and (ii) England when they are expressed as a proportion of capital value.
§ Mr. AncramThe basis of valuation for rating is the annual rent a property might be expected to fetch rather than its capital value. Details of capital values of properties are not held centrally. The Government's proposals set out in "Paying for Local Government" (Cmnd. 9714) envisage that domestic rates should be abolished while non-domestic rateable values should continue to be based upon evidence of rental values.