§ Mr. DonohoeTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was in each(a) former regional and island council and (b) unitary council area in Scotland the total number of appeals lodged against valuation of commercial premises, the number and percentage of appeals which so far have been dealt with, the number and percentage of appeals which so far have been (i) successful and (ii) unsuccessful, and the average amount of time taken to deal with a valuation appeal for each council area. [28630]
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Progress of appeals between 1 April 1995 and 31 March 1996 Valuation area/Valuation joint Cases disposed of prior to VAC1 hearing Cases heard and disposed of by the VAC1> Cases dismissed by the VAC1 for non- attendance Cases referred to and accepted by the Lands Tribunal for Scotland board area Number Per cent. Number Per cent. Number Per cent. Number Per cent. Scotland 9,236 8.6 96 0.1 229 0.2 0 0.0 Ayrshire 145 1.9 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 Central Scotland 1,718 29.4 1 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 Dumfries and Galloway 438 14.3 1 0.0 16 0.5 0 0.0 Dumbartonshire and Argyll and Bute 1,160 19.9 0 0.0 60 1.0 0 0.0 Fife 769 11.8 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 Glasgow 1,795 9.4 4 0.0 118 0.6 0 0.0 Grampian 1,140 10.5 3 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0
§ Mr. Kynoch[holding answer 10 May 1996]: From 31 March 1996, detailed quarterly information on the progress of appeals against valuation is being collected from assessors for each valuation area, or valuation joint board area. The available information, on the progress of appeals up to 31 March 1996, is given in table 1. This shows numbers and progress of appeals in relation to the 1995 revaluation, and also of inter-revaluation appeals.
Information is also being collected from assessors on the number and progress of appeals in relation to the 1995 revaluation for properties in each unitary council area. The available information, on the progress of appeals up to 31 March 1996, is given in table 2.
Detailed information is not collected on the time taken to process each appeal. Overall, almost 9 per cent. of appeals and complaints lodged with assessors against the 1995 revaluation were dealt with by 31 March 1996, which is within 15 weeks of 15 December 1995, the date by which such appeals had to be lodged. All appeals arising from the 1996 revaluation have to be dealt with by 31 March 1998 under the terms of the Valuation Timetable (Scotland) Order 1995.
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Table 1: Number of appeals lodged and progress of appeals by valuation area/valuation joint board area Number of appeals lodged between 1 April 1995 and 31 March 1996 Valuation area/ Valuation joint board area Appeals against1995 revaluation Number Running roll appeals1 Number Total all appeals Number Scotland 103,172 3,896 107,068 Ayrshire 7,225 283 7,508 Central Scotland 5,504 342 5,846 Dumfries and Galloway 3,025 46 3,071 Dunbartonshire and Argyll and Bute 5,666 163 5,829 Fife 6,249 257 6,506 Glasgow 18,528 631 19,159 Grampian 10,293 530 10,823 Highland and Western Isles 6,178 203 6,381 Lanarkshire 10,283 308 10,591 Lothian 13,324 521 13,845 Orkney and Shetland 468 55 523 Renfrewshire 6,505 268 6,773 Scottish Borders 1,944 50 1,994 Tayside 7,980 239 8,219 1Inter-revaluation appeals.
Progress of appeals between I April 1995 and 31 March 1996 Valuation area/Valuation joint Cases disposed of prior to VAC1 hearing Cases heard and disposed of by the VAC1 Cases dismissed by the VAC for non- attendance Cases referred to and accepted by the Lands Tribunal for Scotland board area Number Per cent. Number Per cent. Number Per cent. Number Per cent. Highland and Western Isles 60 0.9 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 Lanarkshire 314 3.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 Lothian 778 5.6 86 0.6 35 0.3 0 0.0 Orkney and Shetland 240 45.9 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 Renrewshire 59 0.9 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 Scottish Borders 532 26.7 1 0.1 0 0.0 0 0.0 Tayside 88 1.1 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 1 VAC: Valuation Appeals Committee. 354W355W
Table 2: Number of appeals against the 1995 revaluation of non-domestic rates Appeals against 1995 revaluation1 Appeals disposed of up to 31 March 1996 Valuation board area Council Number of appeals Number of properties2 Number of properties Percentage of properties Scotland 103,172 94,327 8,639 9.2 Ayrshire East Ayrshire 2,215 2,038 30 1.5 North Ayrshire 2,382 2,291 30 1.3 South Ayrshire 2,628 2,425 48 2.0 Central Scotland Clackmannanshire 634 621 165 26.6 Falkirk 2,711 2,553 894 35.0 Stirling 2,159 2,021 484 23.9 Dumfries and Galloway Dumfries and Galloway 3,025 2,923 434 14.8 Dunbartonshire and Argyll and Bute Argyll and Bute 3,028 2,855 583 20.4 East Dunbartonshire 1,195 1,107 258 23.3 West Dunbartonshire 1,443 1,357 263 19.4 Fife Fife 6,249 5,870 742 12.6 Glasgow Glasgow, City of 18,528 16,013 1,584 9.9 Grampian Aberdeen City 5,500 4,926 722 14.7 Aberdeenshire 3,304 3,143 161 5.1 Moray 1,489 1,439 142 9.9 Highland and Western Isles Highland 5,860 5,489 55 1.0 Western Isles 318 311 2 0.6 Lanarkshire North Lanarkshire 4,995 4,455 171 3.8 South Lanarkshire 5,288 4,628 89 1.9 Lothian East Lothian 1,005 967 5 0.5 Edinburgh, City of 9,150 8,517 762 8.9 Midlothian 777 743 9 1.2 West Lothian 2,392 2,139 120 5.6 Orkney and Shetland Orkney 294 286 111 38.8 Shetland 174 167 118 70.7 Renfrewshire East Renfrewshire 1,071 985 3 0.3 Inverclyde 1,713 1,479 14 0.9 Renfrewshire 3,721 3,285 38 1.2 Scottish Borders Scottish Borders 1,944 1,893 516 27.3 Tayside Angus 1,597 1,547 23 1.5 Dundee City 3,918 3,520 16 0.5 Perth and Kinross 2,465 2,334 47 2.0 1 Appeals and complaints lodged with Assessors departments in relation to the 1995 revaluation. 2 The number of properties against which there are appeals. This is less than the number of appeals because there are, in some cases more than one appeal in relation to a property.