HC Deb 30 November 1992 vol 215 cc15-6W
Mr. Tony Lloyd

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has about the accepted length of time before appeals lodged now with the Salford valuation office regarding business rates are heard.

Mr. Robin Squire

An appeal about business rates starts life as a proposal to alter an entry in a non-domestic rating list, made to the local valuation office. If the matter is not resolved within six months, it is automatically referred to a valuation tribunal as an appeal. Those proposals lodged with the Salford valuation office are referred as appeals to the Manchester, South valuation tribunal.

Month Secretary of State Mr. Atkins Mr. Mates Lord Arran Mr. Hanley Total
May 14 9 11 13 16 63
June 8 11 10 13 12 54
July 11 10 11 10 9 51
August 7 3 13 10 5 38
September 13 9 10 9 11 52
October 17 8 9 11 11 56
TOTAL 70 50 64 66 64 314

Valuation tribunals are independent bodies and the priority and timing of cases is a matter for them.

Following the non-domestic revaluation on 1 April 1990, Manchester South valuation tribunal initially received about 15,800 substantive appeals. Most of these were received towards the end of that financial year. By the end of September 1992, some 18 months later, 9,300 appeals had been cleared. This is consistent with the national plan to clear original list appeals within three years of their receipt.