§ Mr. Higginsasked the Secretary of State for the Environment to what extent the revaluation for domestic rating purposes in 1973 involved detailed revaluation of properties; to what extent existing valuations were adjusted on the basis of a revaluation index; and when there was a general revaluation in which all domestic properties were revalued individually.
§ Sir Geoffrey HoweI have been asked to reply.
At the time of the general revaluation in 1973 all domestic properties were individually revalued. The revaluations were based on information obtained from surveys carried out at the time of previous revaluations which had been updated as part of a continuous programme of inspection. The General Rate Act 1970 permitted the use of evidence derived from the relationship between rents for dwellings current at the time of the revaluation and the existing assessments but valuation officers were normally able to revalue properties without reference to this provision. Information about the number of occasions on which the provision was used is not available.