§ Mr. Simsasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will seek to amend the law so as to make residential houseboats liable to domestic rates rather than commercial rates.
§ Mr. Giles ShawIt is for individual rating authorities to determine—within the terms of the General Rate Act 1967—whether a property should be liable for domestic or non-domestic rates. There is nothing in that Act which would preclude a houseboat from being treated as a dwelling house and hence eligible for domestic rate relief.