§ Mr. BurdenTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what targets the Valuation Office Agency has set for clearing council tax valuation appeals.
§ Mr. Nelson[holding answer 3 May 1994]: The Valuation Office Agency expects four out of five appeals to be settled by 31 December 1994 and the remainder as quickly as possible thereafter.
1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 Own resources ceiling agreed at Edinburgh (per cent. of community GNP) 1.20 1.20 1.21 1.22 1.24 1.26 1.27 Value of Edinburgh own resources ceiling on basis of growth projections available at the time (becu—1992 prices) 65.8 67.3 69.5 71.9 74.9 78.0 80.6 Value of Edinburgh own resources ceiling on basis of latest growth projections (becu—1992 prices) 64.4 65.2 67.1 69.4 72.3 75.2 77.8 Change in estimated available resources since Edinburgh (becu—1992 prices) -1.4 -2.1 -2.4 -2.5 -2.6 -2.8 -2.8 The own resources ceiling is a legally binding limit on the amount of own resources which can be called up by the European Community to finance payments from the budget. In setting the annual budget, the budgetary authority—the Council of Ministers and the European Parliament—must ensure that the own resources ceiling is respected, if necessary by agreeing expenditure totals which are less than those in the financial perspective agreed at Edinburgh. The policies to be affected by these reductions would be for decision at the time.