§ Dr. GodmanTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many appeals against banding under the council tax have been made in the current year in(a) Strathclyde and (b) Scotland; what is the average length of time taken to hear such appeals; and how many were successful.
§ Mr. Stewart[holding answer 1 December 1993]: The process of requesting a change to the council tax valuation list involves two stages. First, a proposal is lodged with the assessor's department. If the proposal cannot be resolved it proceeds as an appeal to the Valuation Appeal Committee. Proposals unresolved after six months are automatically cited for appeal. The tables set out the relevant available information supplied by assessors to the Scottish Office on proposals and appeals up to end-September 1993. Tables 1 and 2 show the outcome of proposals lodged. Table 3 shows the time taken to settle those proposals and appeals that have been settled; this includes cases where proposals are withdrawn by the appellant or the valuation list is adjusted by the assessor as well as cases decided by an appeal committee.
No information is collected centrally as to how many appeals are successful since it is not clear what that would mean in each case. It must be assumed that in all cases where an appellant withdraws his or her proposal or the assessor adjusts the valuation list then an agreed outcome has been reached.
689W
Within 1 month Within 1-2 months Within 2-3 months Within 3-4 months Within 4-5 months Within 5-6 months Total Appeals cited and heard: a. Strathclyde 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 b. Scotland 0 0 0 0 2 14 16