§ Mr. Matthew BanksTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what targets will be set for the Valuation Office executive agency for the year 1996–97. [23504]
§ Mrs. Angela KnightThe following key targets have been set for the Valuation Office in 1996–97
Operational
- to clear 100,000 appeals against the council tax valuation lists;
- to clear 330,000 appeals in aggregate against the 1990 and 1995 rating lists;
- to undertake 64,000 valuation cases for the Inland Revenue for capital gains tax and inheritance tax purposes.
Financial and cost efficiency
- to ensure that the agency's net operating cost, after deducting the cost of statutory non-chargeable work, is at least fully covered by receipts;
- to break even from year to year within each business segment, after charging for the full cost of chargeable services including notional interest of 6 per cent. on the average working capital;
- to achieve efficiency savings of 7.9 per cent. on the agency's gross expenditure.
Quality of service
- to reply to 100 per cent. of correspondence within 20 working days of receipt;
- to achieve specified time limits on 97 per cent. of cases undertaken;
- to achieve a specified valuation quality standard in 85 per cent. of cases carried out.
Further details are set out in the agency's forward plan, copies of which will be placed in the Library of the House on publication.
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