Vol. 235 No. 7
I move:
That a sum not exceeding £878,000 be granted to defray the charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of March, 1969, for Rates and Contributions in lieu of Rates, etc., in respect of Government Property, and for Contributions towards Rates on Premises occupied by Representatives of External Governments.
There was to be a general provision by virtue of which the Minister was going to consider a method of dealing with properties originally in private hands and now being rated on rents rather than on the buildings themselves. Has any progress been made on that? Incidentally, I am aware of one case where the Minister's Department went out of their way to provide a solution. I am grateful for that assistance, but what is the position on the general front?
I am not clear on this.
The position is that if premises were rented to a private person and then a Government service took over those premises, then the rates are payable, not as they had been, on the premises but on the rent, and the person who received the rent is, in consequence, at a very great loss. This is a problem that I know has been considered for some time in the Department. I was wondering whether any progress towards the settlement of a very thorny problem had been made.
I am afraid it has not got as far as me yet, but I will send down a query about it.
I want to express my appreciation of the manner in which an individual case was met, but that is held up because of the difficulty at a higher level with title. That is why I am interested in the general progress. Perhaps some time the Minister would drop me a line about it?
Certainly: I will write to the Deputy.
