§ Lord James Douglas-Hamiltonasked the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) when (a) the commercial ratepayers and (b) the domestic ratepayers will learn how and when selective rate relief will be received by those whose rateable value has increased by more than three times;
(2) what steps he is taking to publicise to (a) domestic and (b) non-domestic ratepayers the availability of special rates relief under the Rating (Revaluation Rebates) (Scotland) Act 1985; and whether he will make a statement as to the procedures to be adopted.
§ Mr. AncramThe Rating (Revaluation Rebates) (Scotland) Act 1985 and the order implementing the revaluation rebates scheme come into force on 26 August. Around that time I shall be arranging for Scotland-wide publicity to be given to the scheme. As the order provides, however, no ratepayer need take any action initially to claim rebate. Rating authorities — regional and islands councils—will be comparing the old and new valuation rolls to identify ratepayers whose properties have had their rateable value increased by a multiplier greater than three, and which qualify for a rebate. By 16 September the authorities will write to all such ratepayers granting the rebates, either by making an appropriate payment or by reducing the amount of rates still to pay. By 23 September each rating authority will publish in a local newspaper a notice telling ratepayers that if they consider they might qualify for a rebate but seem to have been missed out, they should write in making a claim within 28 days. Only at this stage therefore is there a possibility that a ratepayer need take any action.
Rating authorities will have much to do in quite a short period to ensure that this timetable is met, and it would be very helpful if ratepayers who think they may be eligible but did not write in individually to their authority asking about the scheme. They should wait until either they are granted rebate or they see the authority's notice in the local newspaper.