§ Mr. Roderickasked the Secretary of State for the Environment why no appeals against the new rating revaluation lists are to be allowed until after 1st April 1973.
§ Mr. Graham PageUnder the General Rate Act 1967 an appeal may be made only against an entry in the current valuation list. Because the new valuation lists in England and Wales do not come into force until 1st April 1973 appeals may not be made before that date, but a successful appeal against a value in the list at that date will affect rates from then.
434W
§ Mr. Kinseyasked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether in consequence of rating revaluation on 1st April 1973 he will take steps to amend the rateable value limits in the Leasehold Reform Act 1967, to entitle tenants of new leasehold houses entering the valuation list after 1st April 1973 and which, but for rating revaluation, would have come within the existing rateable value limits, to enfranchisement on the same terms as now provided by the Act.
§ Mr. ChannonYes. Rating revaluation does not affect existing rights under the Act, whereby a tenant may acquire the freehold of a leasehold house that he has occupied for the previous five years. The Government intend, when a suitable opportunity occurs, to raise the rateable value limits in Section 1 of the Act of £400 in greater London and £200 elsewhere to £1,000 and £500 respectively, which, following rating revaluation, will enable purchasers of long leasehold houses after 1st April 1973 to enfranchise themselves comparably with tenants of similar existing properties. This applies only to dwellings which, but for rating revaluation, would have been within the existing rateable value limits.