HC Deb 01 April 1993 vol 222 cc402-3W
Mr. William Ross

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress has been made in establishing the Valuation and Lands Agency.

Mr. Mates

I am pleased to announce that the Valuation and Lands Agency has been established as an executive agency of the Department of Finance and Personnel for Northern Ireland with effect from today. It will be responsible for the provision of a good quality, cost-effective valuation and estate management service and fair, prompt and helpful service to clients, taxpayers and ratepayers. The following targets have been set for the agency:

  1. (1) Rating—to complete 42,000 continuous revision cases and 700 appeals to the Commissioner of Valuation, equivalent to a case weighted output of 25,500 units; 403 Other—to complete 23,750 cases for other Government Departments and public bodies, equivalent to a case weighted output of 31,800 units;
  2. (2) To achieve an increase in valuer productivity and all staff productivity of 3.8 per cent. and 2.5 per cent. respectively;
  3. (3) To achieve a reduction of 3 per cent. in the real value of unit cost of casework;
  4. (4) Where continuous revision cases are subject to retrospective backdating, to issue 75 per cent. of certificates within six months and 92 per cent. within 12 months of the event giving rise to the revision of the valuation list.
  5. (5) To increase by 3 per cent. the percentage of selected representative cases completed within agreed time targets.
  6. (6) To complete 85 per cent. of appeals where the assessment of NAV decided by the Commissioner of Valuation falls within established valuation tolerances of the initial assessment.

The valuation and Lands Agency has also to achieve running costs cash efficiency savings of at least 2.5 per cent.

I am confident that the new status as a next steps agency will lead to a significant and sustained improvement in the delivery of this important public service. I am delegating full managerial authority for the agency's day-to-day operations to the chief executive. The policy and resources framework for the agency is set out in the framework document, copies of which are being placed in the Library of the House.