§ Mr. Douglasasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is his policy regarding the continuation of the 50 per cent. derating of Scottish industry.
§ Mr. Gordon CampbellI have no announcement to make at present.
§ Mr. Douglasasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will now make a statement on the rating of commercial property in Scotland.
§ Mr. Gordon CampbellI am considering the report of the Committee of Inquiry into Commercial Rating and I shall make a statement in due course.
§ Mr. Douglasasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make available statistics showing the proportion of local rates revenue coming from the various categories of subjects, the average for Scotland and the range among the local authorities, and a comparison with England and Wales.
§ Mr. Gordon CampbellI would refer the hon. Member to "Rates and Rateable Values in Scotland 1969–70" and "Rates and Rateable Values in England and Wales 1969–70", copies of which are available in the House of Commons Library, which give a breakdown of the total rateable value in each local authority area among the main classes of rateable property. Taking the two countries as a whole, the division of the rate burden in that year was as follows:
Share of total rateable value contributed by— Domestic Property Commercial Property Industrial Property Miscellaneous Property % % % % Scotland 47.9 24.6 11.8 15.7 England and Wales 48.1 22.5 13.8 15.6
§ Mr. Douglasasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish figures for the increase in local authority rates in Scotland between 1969–70 and 1970–71, the average Scottish rate in 1970–71 and the range of rates among Scottish rating authorities.
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§ Mr. Gordon CampbellFull information about local authority rates in 1970–71 will not be available until early next year.