§ Mr. Stallardasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will introduce legislation to amend the General Rate Act, 1967, so as to remove the anomaly by which flats can be given a higher rateable value than houses.
§ Mr. Graham PageUnder the General Rate Act, 1967, the rateable values of all dwellings are based on the rents which276W they would command in the open market. Differences in rateable values between different kinds of dwelling therefore reflect differences in rental values. I have no immediate proposals for changing the law in this respect, but we are examining the rating system as a whole in the course of our review of local government finance.