HC Deb 05 April 1973 vol 854 cc158-9W
Mr. Stainton

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware that revaluation has resulted in rateable values in Suffolk for thatched cottages, even without amenities, rising 3.5 times; that this reflects the Inland Revenue annual rental rules and thus the particular attractions of these dwellings to townspeople and week-enders; and whether he will examine the possibility of differentiating such dwellings in line with the submissions made by the hon. Member for Sudbury and Woodbridge.

Mr. Nott

It would need a fundamental change in rating law for thatched cottages to be assessed on any other basis than the annual rental value in the open market. Such a change would be primarily a matter for my right hon. and learned friend the Secretary of State for the Environment but I could not recommend such a discriminatory change in favour of thatched cottages. The factors which have increased the assessments of some thatched cottages in Suffolk have also affected the assessments of many other types of property.

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