§ Mr. Wallaceasked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he intends to meet the Scottish Sports Association to discuss the rating of sports grounds and premises in Scotland; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. RifkindI am not aware of any request from the Scottish Sports Association for a meeting on this subject. I nevertheless appreciate the strength of feeling amongst sports clubs in Scotland about rates. The fact that the present valuation and rating systems in Great Britain can lead to differences of the kind some clubs have mentioned is one of the reasons the Government are tackling the difficult task of reforming local taxation, as is shown by our Green Paper "Paying for Local Government" (Cmnd. 9714). In the shorter term, many sports clubs have appealed against their rateable values, but I cannot comment on the merits of the cases. Rating relief of up to 100 per cent. is available to non-profit-making recreational clubs; decisions on this are wholly at the discretion of the appropriate rating authority.