HC Deb 17 December 1992 vol 216 c495W
Mr. Ralph Howell

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his latest estimate of the total cost to public funds of(a) introducing and (b) administering the council tax.

Mr. Robin Squire

The cost to local authorities in England of preparing for the council tax is estimated to be £156.1 million.

The local authority associations have estimated that the cost of collecting the council tax in 1993–94 will be 40 per cent. lower than the cost of collecting the community charge, with further reductions in later years when transitional problems have been dealt with.

Mr. Pickles

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps a householder may take if he or she feels that a mistake has been made in the boundary of his or her property in the council tax assessment.

Mr. Robin Squire

Anyone who wishes to correct a factual error in a draft valuation list may now approach his or her listing officer at the local office of the Valuation Office agency. Where the listing officer agrees, such an error will be amended before the final list is compiled on 1 April 1993. If the listing officer does not agree, however, a householder will between 1 April and 30 November 1993 be able to lodge a formal proposal to alter the compiled list.

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