Council Tax (New Valuation Lists for England) Bill

He is, indeed, my very good friend and he speaks with a great deal of authority on these matters. He will know more than anyone else that at the time of the 2002 Bill there was a great deal of discussion about the requisite period. As it happens, and ironically in the current context, the Conservative spokesman in the other place wanted to reduce from 10 to five years, the—[Interruption.] The hon. Member for Meriden (Mrs. Spelman) is shouting from a sedentary position. We are all disappointed that she is not speaking today and that she has left the task to others; she may be winding up the debate, but I do not know. As my right hon. Friend the Member for Greenwich and Woolwich (Mr. Raynsford) knows, there was considerable discussion about the period and we think that it is right to keep the flexibility created by the clause. Finally, the Bill replaces those two provisions for revaluation, for at least 10-yearly intervals, with a power for the Secretary of State to specify the date on which a new valuation list must be compiled. Such orders will be subject to the House’s affirmative resolution procedure. That was also the case in respect of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, which created the council tax in the first place. For the sake of completeness, clause 2 simply provides for the short title of the Bill and for its extent. I can bring the House up to date with progress at the Valuation Office Agency, which was responsible for carrying out the revaluation. Immediately following the announcement, the VOA took steps to reduce ongoing expenditure and to reshape the agency to fit the new situation. Some 420 staff employed as casuals or on fixed term contracts will have left the agency by the 18 November. A voluntary early departure scheme has been announced, with some 600 staff expected to depart between March and June 2006. Coupled with natural wastage, the total reduction is expected to amount to some 1,250 staff. As we set out on 20 September, there will be significant short-term savings for the Government from not proceeding with revaluation. However, the Government have been explicit that £45 million of the £60 million spent so far is a prudent investment in modern and efficient working practices. The VOA will ensure that the country has an up-to-date, electronic property database, available as a source of accurate data.