§ Mr. BurnsTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what targets will be set for the Valuation Office executive agency for the year 1992–93.
§ Mr. Nelson1 have set the following key targets for the agency in 1992–93.
Operational Targets
Non-domestic rates: to clear 302,000 appeals against the 1990 List of rating valuations and to deal with 222,000 reassessment cases arising because properties have undergone physical changes.Council Tax: to complete the valuation banding of domestic properties. The Agency will undertake 4.3 million valuations directly and supervise private sector contractors in the valuation of a further 4.8 million properties.Direct Taxes: to undertake 120,000 valuation cases for the Inland Revenue concerning Inheritance and Capital Gains Taxes and Stamp Duty.Other: to undertake 135,000 property and land valuations for other Government Departments, public bodies and local authorities.Financial Performance and Cost Efficiency
to limit the Agency's net expenditure to its Main Estimates figure of £1.365 million; to achieve efficiency savings of approximately 2.5 per cent. on its gross expenditure; and to rationalise the number of its local offices from 121 to 113.Citizens' Charter
to reply to 90 per cent. of all correspondence within 28 days of receipt; to publish a supplement to the Taxpayers' Charter to cover all Valuation Office work; and by June 1992 to complete a trial extension of local office opening hours.Further details of the performance measures and targets are set out in the agency's business plan for 1992–93, a copy of which will be placed in the Library of the House on publication.