asked the Minister for the Environment if he will give the estimated revenue increase to his Department as a result of the increase in the cost of applications for certificates of reasonable value and the introduction of fees for planning applications; and if he has satisfied himself that the construction industry is in a position to absorb those increases.
Written Answers. - Certificates of Reasonable Value.
382.
The estimated extra revenues brought about by the increase in the fees for certificates of reasonable value for the remainder of 1983 is £70,000.
It is estimated that planning application fees, which apply both to dwellings and other kinds of buildings, will yield about £5.5 million in 1983. These fees will accrue to local authorities, not my Department.
These extra costs per house represent only about one-sixth of 1 per cent of the total costs of providing a house for sale and could not therefore be regarded as a major burden on the construction industry.