§ Mr. LAURENCE HARDYasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he can secure that the land valuations in connection with Death Duty accounts shall be expedited so as to avoid the inconvenience of delays amounting to many months in winding up the accounts; whether he is aware that an estate, re Edward White Odden and Emily Odden, deceased, was sold last July and, though on four occasions the promise has been given that the valuation will be disposed of, it has not been possible to obtain any reply from the Valuation Department; and whether he will expedite this valuation?
§ Mr. LLOYD GEORGEI would refer the hon. Member to the answer given by me42W to the hon. Member for Tewkesbury on the 23rd October last. In the case referred to in the second part of the question, the account of the property was not delivered to the Estate Duty Office until the 17th October, and then had to be returned for further information. It was finally received on the 14th November. It has not yet been possible for the Valuation Office to dispose of the case, but there will be no avoidable delay.