§ Mr. SteenTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many appeals against assessment of uniform business rates for 1990–91 in each county in England have been(a) lodged and (b) heard; and how many are still awaiting decision.
§ Mr. KeyThe information requested cannot be provided on a county basis at a reasonable cost.
Nationally, some 705,000 appeals against valuation matters had been received by 31 May 1991. About 45,000 of these have been settled and 660,000 await decision. The arrangements and timing of appeal hearings is the responsibility of valuation and community charge tribunals which are independent bodies.
The table shows the numbers of 1990 rating appeals which at the end of May 1991 were outstanding at valuation and community charge tribunals in England.
243W
1990 Rating appeals outstanding at the end of May 1991 at Valuation and Community Charge tribunals in England Number Avon 8,892 Bedfordshire 4,442 Berkshire 7,904 Birmingham 13,328 Buckinghamshire 16,075 Cambridgeshire 6,876 Cheshire 9,719 Cleveland 17,651 Cornwall 5,177 Coventry/Solihull 4,573 Cumbria 6,506 Derbyshire 8,971 Devon 10,139 Dorset 8,484 Durham 17,406 East Sussex 6,484 Essex North 5,761 Essex South 7,242 Gloucestershire 5,359 Hampshire North 5,074 Hampshire South 8,472 Hereford/Worcester 8,136 Hertfordshire 10,887 Humberside 8,002 Isles of Scilly 59 Isle of Wight 1,214 Kent 13,850 Lancashire 15,588 Leicestershire 7,879
Number Lincolnshire 6,374 London Central 29,935 London North East 17,964 London North West 25,706 London South East 17,711 London South West 19,911 Manchester North 12,052 Manchester South 16,364 Merseyside 14,175 Norfolk 7,945 North Yorkshire 9,471 Northamptonshire 5,956 Northumberland 3,779 Nottinghamshire 8,356 Oxfordshire 6,924 Shropshire 4,289 Somerset 4,784 South Yorkshire 13,122 Staffordshire 9,877 Suffolk 15,924 Surrey 11,526 Tyne and Wear 15,790 Warwickshire 5,395 West Midlands West 14,135 West Sussex 7,160 West Yorkshire 24,455 Wiltshire 4,365 1 At end April.