§ Viscount BROOKEBOROUGHasked Her Majesty's Government:
What is the present average delay in dealing with claims in the Northern Ireland Valuation Office and what can be done to tackle the backlog.
§ Lord DONALDSON of KINGSBRIDGEIt would be misleading to provide an overall average figure for the time required for dealing with claims in the Northern Ireland Valuation Office, since it varies greatly according to the category of claim and the particular circumstances of each case. The main cause of delays is the shortage of skilled valuers. Nearly 200 valuation assistants have been recruited over the past four years, and this should in time ease the position.