§ Mr. Meacherasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give a breakdown for his estimate that local authorities lose up to £120 million a year in rates because theiy fail to levy rates on empty property; if he will indicate how much he estimates is lost a year by each of the largest 100 rating authorities; and what proportion each of these sums is of their current rate revenue in each case.
§ Mr. Graham PageIn giving to the House on 20th March an estimate of £130 million, I made use of the figures given in the Rating and Valuation Association Press release, namely that on information then available, 59 rating authorities—out of the total of some 1,400—expected a total yield from empty property rating in 1973–74 of £5¼ million. —[Vol. 853, c. 278.] Other statistics, compiled by the Institute of Municipal Treasurers and Accountants for the year 1971–72 for 68 authorities, showed a yield of £6.8 million from empty property rating, the total rate revenue of those 68 authorities in that year being £539.9 million.