General Rate Act 1967

• (a) any payment so authorised to be deducted shall be a good discharge for such amount of rent, royalty or dues as is equal to the amount of the payment, and shall be allowed accordingly ;

• (b) any payment so authorised to be deducted may be recovered as an ordinary debt from the person to whom rent, royalty, or dues may be payable;

• (c) the person receiving the rent, royalty or dues shall have the same right of appeal and objection with reference to the rate and to the valuation of the hereditament in respect of which the rate is payable as he would have if he were the occupier of that hereditament.

PART V — Valuation lists

Maintenance of, and preparation of new, valuation lists

The valuation list.

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• (1) For the purposes of rates, there shall be maintained for each rating area a valuation list prepared, and from time to time caused to be altered, in accordance with the provisions of this Part of this Act by the valuation officer.

• (2) Subject to the provisions of this Act, there shall be inserted in the valuation list such particulars as may be prescribed—

• (a) with respect to every hereditament in the rating area and the value thereof; and

• (b) with respect to totals of values—

• (i) in respect of the whole rating area; and

• (ii) in respect of any rating district forming part only of that area which is liable to be charged separately in respect of any expenses; and

• (iii) except in Greater London, in respect of any other part of that area which is so liable.

• (3) In any case where a payment in respect of a deficiency in the assessments for a rate falls to be made by any person under section 133 of the Lands Clauses Consolidation Act 1845 : or section 27 of the Compulsory Purchase Act 1965, there shall be included among the particulars inserted in the valuation list the assessment on which that payment is based, and any such payment shall be taken into account for the purpose of ascertaining the proceeds of any rate.

• (4) Where a rating area comprises more than one rating district, the particulars aforesaid with respect to each respectively of those districts shall be set out in a separate division of the valuation list.

• (5) Subject to any alteration duly made under this Act, every valuation list (including every list in force immediately before the commencement of this Act) shall remain in force until it is superseded by a new valuation list.

• (6) Subject to subsection (7) of this section, the valuation list in accordance with which, under section 2(4)(M of this Act, any rate falls or fell to be made, as in force (or about to come into force) at the date of the making of the rate, shall be conclusive evidence for the purposes of the levying of that rate of the values of the several hereditaments included in the list.

• (7) As respects any period during which, under this Act, an alteration of the valuation list referred to in subsection (6) of this section is for the time being to be treated as having had effect, the reference in the said subsection (6) to that list shall be construed as a reference to that list as so altered.

New valuation lists.

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• (1) In the case of each rating area, new valuation lists shall be prepared and made by the valuation officer so as to come into force on 1st April in 1973 and each fifth year thereafter.

• (2) The valuation officer by whom a new valuation list is prepared shall, not later than the end of the month of December preceding the date on which the list is to come into force (or if in any particular case the Minister, either before or after the end of that month, allows an extended period, then not later than the end of that period) sign the list and transmit it, together with a copy thereof, to the rating authority, who shall deposit the list at the offices of the authority.

• (3) Where, after the valuation officer has transmitted the list to the rating authority, but before the date on which the list is to come into force, it appears to him that, by reason of a material change of circumstances which has occurred since the time of valuation, the list needs to be altered in any respect, he shall cause the list to be altered accordingly before that date.

• (4) In subsection (3) of this section, the expression " material change of circumstances " means a change of circumstances which consists of—

• (a) the coming into occupation of a newly erected or newly constructed hereditament or of a hereditament which has been out of occupation on account of structural alterations; or

• (b) a change in the value of a hereditament caused by the making of structural alterations or by the total or partial destruction of any building or other erection by fire or any other physical cause ; or

• (c) the happening of any event whereby a hereditament or part of a hereditament becomes, or ceases to be, not liable to be rated ; or

• (d) a change in the extent to which any railway or canal premises within the meaning of section 32 of this Act are occupied for non-rateable purposes within the meaning of that section; or

• (e) property previously rated as a single hereditament becoming liable to be rated in parts; or

• (f) property previously rated in parts becoming liable to be rated as a single hereditament; or

• (g) a hereditament becoming or ceasing to be—

• (i) a dwelling-house; or

• (ii) a private garage or private storage premises within the meaning of Schedule 11 to this Act; or

• (h) a hereditament being, in accordance with Schedule 13 to this Act, used to a greater or lesser extent for the purposes of a private dwelling or private dwellings,

and the expression " the time of valuation ", in relation to a change of circumstances, means the time by reference to which the valuation officer prepared so much of the list as is affected by that change of circumstances.

• (5) The omission from a new valuation list of any matter required by law to be included therein shall not of itself render the list invalid.

• (6) In respect of any new valuation list, it shall be the duty of the rating authority immediately upon receipt thereof to take such steps as the authority may consider most suitable for giving notice of the list, and of the rights of persons to inspect the list and to make proposals for altering it.

Alterations of current valuation list

Proposals for alteration of current valuation list.

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• (1) Subject to subsection (6) of this section, any person (including a rating authority) who is aggrieved—

• (a) by the inclusion of any hereditament in the valuation list; or

• (b) by any value ascribed in the list to a hereditament or by any other statement made or omitted to be made in the list with respect to a hereditament; or

• (c) in the case of a building or portion of a building occupied in parts, by the valuation in the list of that building or portion of a building as a single hereditament,

may at any time make a proposal for the alteration of the list so far as it relates to that hereditament.

• (2) Subject to subsection (6) of this section, the valuation officer may at any time make a proposal for any alteration of a valuation list and in particular, in addition to the proposals authorised or required by, or by virtue of, the following provisions of this Act, namely, paragraph 6(1) of Schedule 1, paragraph 4(1) of Schedule 4, paragraph 8(4) of Schedule 5, paragraph 13 of Schedule 6 and paragraph 15 of Schedule 7, shall from time to time make such proposals as may be requisite—

• (a) for deleting from the list any premises exempted from rating by virtue of section 33(1)(b) of this Act;

• (b) for excluding from the list any premises which form part of a hereditament shown in the list and which, by virtue of section 33(1)(#) or (b) of this Act, are not liable to be rated, and for including in the list, as one or more separate hereditaments, so much of any such hereditament as remains liable to be rated ;

• (c) for altering the list in consequence of any event whereby premises cease to be within the exemption from rating conferred by section 32(3), 33(1) or 34(1) of this Act.

• (3) Without prejudice to any right exercisable by rating authorities by virtue of subsection (1) of this section, where—

• (a) it appears to a rating authority that a hereditament in their rating area which is not included in the list ought to be included therein ; and

• (b) the valuation officer gives notice in writing to the rating authority that he does not intend to make a proposal for inserting that hereditament in the list,

the rating authority, at any time within twenty-eight days after the date on which that notice was given, may make a proposal for the alteration of the list by the insertion of that hereditament therein.

• (4) Where a proposal in relation to a hereditament has been made under the foregoing provisions of this section, a further proposal for the alteration of the list in relation to that hereditament may be so made which is contingent on an alteration being made in consequence of the earlier proposal.

• (5) Every proposal under this section must—

• (a) be made in writing ; and

• (b) specify the grounds on which the proposed alteration is supported; and

• (c) comply with any requirements of any regulations made by the Minister with respect to the form of such proposals and otherwise with respect to the making thereof,

and every such proposal made otherwise than by the valuation officer must be served on the valuation officer.

• (6) No proposal shall be made under this section—

• (a) for the alteration of a valuation list so far as it relates to a hereditament included in the list by virtue of paragraph 10(6) of Schedule 6 or paragraph 14(6) of Schedule 7 to this Act; or

• (b) save as provided by paragraph 4(1) or 5(2), or by an order under paragraph 10, of Schedule 4 to this Act, for the alteration of the rateable value of a water hereditament within the meaning of section 31 of this Act;

and the provisions of this section shall have effect subject to the provisions of any order under section 35 of this Act.

Provision for objections to proposals.

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• (1) The valuation officer shall, within twenty-eight days '. after the date on which a proposal under section 69 of this Act is served on him, or within seven days after the date on: which such a proposal is made by him, as the case may be transmit a copy thereof, together with a statement in writing of the right of objection conferred by subsection (2) of this section, to each of the following persons, not being the maker of the proposal, that is to say—

• (a) the occupier of the hereditament to which the proposal relates; and

• (b) the rating authority for the area in which the hereditament in question is situated.

• (2) Any of the following persons, that is to say, the owner or occupier of the whole or any part of a hereditament to which the proposal relates or the rating authority for the area in which that hereditament is situated, may, within twenty-eight days from the date on which notice is served under subsection (1) of this section on the occupier or, in the case of the rating authority (where they are not the occupier), on the rating authority, serve on the valuation officer notice in writing of objection to the proposal; and, where the proposal was made otherwise than by the valuation officer, the valuation Officer shall, within twenty-eight days of the date on which a notice of objection is served on him, transmit a copy thereof to the maker of the proposal.

Unopposed proposals.

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• (1) Where in the case of any proposal under section 69 of this Act—

• (a) no notice of objection is served within the time limited by section 70(2) of this Act, or every such notice is unconditionally withdrawn; and

• (b) either—

• (i) the proposal was made by the valuation officer; or

• (ii) the valuation officer is satisfied that the proposal is well-founded ; or

• (iii) at the end of the period of four months beginning with the date on which the proposal was served on the valuation officer, that officer has not given a notice under section 74(1) of this Act,

the valuation officer shall cause the valuation list to be altered so as to give effect to the proposal.

• (2) Where the proposal was served on the valuation officer before the first anniversary of the coming into force of the valuation list to which the proposal relates, subsection (1)(6)(iii) of this section shall have effect as if for the words " four months " there were substituted the words " six months ".

Agreed alterations after proposal.

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• (1) Where, in the case of any proposal under section 69 of this Act, the requirements of section 71 of this Act are not satisfied, but—

• (a) all the persons referred to in subsection (2) of this section agree on an alteration of the valuation list (whether the alteration is that specified in the proposal or another alteration); and

• (b) the agreement is reached without, or before the determination of, any appeal to a local valuation court, or reference to arbitration, with respect to an objection to the proposal,

the valuation officer shall cause that alteration to be made in the valuation list.

• (2) The persons referred to in subsection (1)(a) of this section are—

• (a) the valuation officer ;

• (b) the person who made the proposal, where the proposal was not made by the valuation officer;

• (c) any person who has served and who has not unconditionally withdrawn a notice of objection to the proposal;

• (d) the occupier of the hereditament to which the proposal relates, if he is not included by virtue of paragraph (b) or (c) of this subsection ;

• (e) the rating authority (if not included by virtue of paragraph (b), (c) or (d) of this subsection), unless they have notified the valuation officer that they do not desire to be included by virtue of this paragraph either generally or as respects a class of hereditament which includes the hereditament to which the proposal relates.

Opposed proposals.

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• (1) If in the case of any proposal under section 69 of this Act notice of objection thereto has been served and not unconditionally withdrawn, and the proposal is not withdrawn, the valuation officer may at any time within the period of four months beginning with—

• (a) in the case of a proposal made by the valuation officer, the date on which the proposal was made ; or

• (b) in the case of any other proposal, the date on which the proposal was served on the valuation officer,

and shall not later than the end of that period, transmit a copy of the proposal, and of every notice of objection thereto which has not been unconditionally withdrawn, to the clerk to the local valuation panel constituted under section 88 of this Act from the members of which a local valuation court for the hearing of an appeal against that objection would fall to be constituted.

• (2) Where under the foregoing subsection the valuation officer transmits a copy of a proposal to the clerk to a local valuation panel—

• (a) the valuation officer shall forthwith notify the fact that he has done so to the person who made the proposal, to any person who served a notice of objection of which a copy is transmitted with the copy of the proposal, and to the rating authority; and

• (b) the said transmission shall have effect as an appeal to a local valuation court, by the person who made the proposal, against every objection (whether of the valuation officer or of any other person) signified by a notice of which a copy is transmitted with the copy of the proposal.

• (3) Where the date referred to in paragraph (a) or (b) of subsection (1) of this section falls before the first anniversary of the coming into force of the valuation list to which the proposal relates, that subsection shall have effect as if for the words " four months " there were substituted the words " six months ".

Proposals objected to by valuation officer.

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• (1) In the case of a proposal made under section 69 : of this Act otherwise than by the valuation officer, the valuation o officer may, at any time within the period of three month beginning with the date on which the proposal was served on the valuation officer, give notice in writing to the person who made the proposal that he objects to the proposal, and that the said person, if he does not withdraw the proposal within fourteen days, will be treated as intending to appeal to a valuation court against the valuation officer's objection to the proposal.

• (2) Not less than fourteen nor more than twenty-eight days after the valuation officer has given a notice under subsection (1) of this section, he shall, unless the proposal has then been withdrawn, transmit to the clerk to the local valuation panel constituted under section 88 of this Act from the members of which the local valuation court would fall to be constituted a copy of the proposal together with a copy of the notice under the said subsection (1) and of any notice of objection to the proposal which has been served under section 70(2) of this Act and has not been unconditionally withdrawn.

• (3) Where, in accordance with subsection (2) of this section, the valuation officer transmits a copy of a proposal to the clerk to a local valuation panel, section 73(2) of this Act shall apply for the purposes of this section as if any reference in the said section 73(2) to section 73(1) of this Act included a reference to subsection (2) of this section.

• (4) Where the proposal was served on the valuation officer before the first anniversary of the coming into force of the valuation list to which the proposal relates, subsection (1) of this section shall have effect as if for the words " three months " there were substituted the words " five months ".

Two or more proposals in respect of same hereditament.

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Where a proposal is made for the alteration of a valuation list so far as it relates to a particular hereditament, and before that proposal is settled a further proposal is made, otherwise than by the occupier, for the alteration of the list in relation to that hereditament, then if no notice of objection to the further proposal is served under section 70(2) of this Act within the time limited for the purpose—

• (a) the occupier shall for the purposes of sections 71 to 74 of this Act be deemed to have served such a notice on the last day for doing so; and

• (b) the valuation officer in transmitting a copy of the further proposal to the clerk of a local valuation panel under section 73(1) or 74(2) of this Act shall, instead of transmitting a copy of the notice of objection thereto, transmit a notification that the occupier is deemed to have served such a notice; and where such a notification has been transmitted, section 73(2) of this Act shall apply as if a copy of the notice of objection had been so transmitted with a copy of the further proposal.

Appeals to local valuation courts against objections to proposals.

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• (1) Where a copy of a proposal is transmitted to the clerk to a local valuation panel and by virtue of section 73(2), 74(3) or 75 of this Act that transmission has effect as an appeal to a local valuation court against an objection to the proposal, it shall be the duty of the chairman or a deputy chairman of that panel to arrange for the convening of such a court.

• (2) The procedure of a local valuation court shall, subject to any regulations made in that behalf by the Minister, and subject to subsection (3) of this section, be such as the court may determine; and the court—

• (a) shall sit in public, unless the court otherwise order on the application of any party to the appeal and upon being satisfied that the interests of one or more parties to the appeal would be prejudicially affected; and

• (b) may take evidence on oath and shall have power for that purpose to administer oaths.

• (3) Where, by virtue of section 75 of this Act, the transmission of a copy of a proposal relating to any hereditament has effect as an appeal to a local valuation court, the court may hear and determine the appeal together with any appeal against objections to earlier proposals relating to that hereditament, but except as aforesaid the court shall not hear the first-mentioned appeal until all earlier proposals relating to the hereditament are settled.

• (4) On the hearing of an appeal to a local valuation court—

• (a) the appellant; and

• (b) the valuation officer, when he is not the appellant; and

• (c) the owner or occupier of the hereditament to which the appeal relates, when he is not the appellant; and

• (d) the rating authority for the rating area in which the hereditament in question is situated, when that authority are not the appellant; and

• (e) the objector, where he is not one of the persons aforesaid,

shall be entitled to appear and be heard as parties to the appeal and examine any witness before the court and to call witnesses.

• (5) Subject to the provisions of this Act, after hearing the persons mentioned in subsection (4) of this section, or such of them as desire to be heard, the local valuation court shall give such directions with respect to the manner in which the hereditament in question is to be treated in the valuation list as appear to them to be necessary to give effect to the contention of the appellant if and so far as that contention appears to the court to be well founded; and the valuation officer shall cause the valuation list to be altered accordingly.

Appeal from decision of local valuation court to Lands Tribunal.

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Any person who in pursuance of section 76 of this Act appears before a local valuation court on the hearing of an appeal and is aggrieved by the decision of the court thereo may, within such period as may be prescribed by rules made by the Lord Chancellor under section 3 of the Lands Tribunal Act 1949, appeal to the Lands Tribunal, and that Tribunal, after hearing such of the persons as appeared as aforesaid as desire to be heard, may give any directions which the local valuation court might have given; and the valuation officer shall cause the valuation list to be altered accordingly.

Arbitration with respect to proposals.

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• (1) Notwithstanding anything in the foregoing provisions of this Part of this Act, the persons who would be entitled to appear and be heard before a local valuation court may by agreement in writing agree to refer to arbitration any matter which would but for the agreement fall to be heard or determined by such a court, and the matter shall be referred to arbitration accordingly.

• (2) The Arbitration Act 1950 shall apply to any such arbitration.

• (3) The award in any such arbitration may include any directions which might under this Part of this Act have been given by the local valuation court; and the valuation officer shall cause the valuation list to be altered accordingly.

Effect of alterations to valuation list made in pursuance of proposals.

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• (1) Subject to subsection (2) of this section and to the following provisions of this Act, namely, paragraph 6(4) of Schedule 1, paragraph 5(4) of Schedule 4, paragraph 8(4) of Schedule 5, paragraphs 10(6) and 13 of Schedule 6 and paragraphs 14(6) and 15 of Schedule 7, where an alteration is made in a valuation list by virtue of sections 71 to 78 of this Act, then, in relation to any rate current at the date when the proposal in pursuance of which the amendment so made was served on the valuation officer, or, where the proposal was made by the valuation officer, current at the date when notice of the proposal was served on the occupier of the hereditament in question, that alteration shall be deemed to have had effect as from the commencement of the period in respect of which the rate was made, and shall, subject to the provisions of this section, have effect for the purposes of any subsequent rate.

• (2) Notwithstanding anything in subsection (1) of this section, where an alteration in the valuation list—

• (a) consists of the inclusion in the valuation list of a newly erected or newly constructed hereditament or an altered hereditament which has been out of occupation on account of structural alterations; or

• (b) is made by reason of any of the events specified in section 68(4)(b) to (h) of this Act,

the alteration shall have effect only as from the date when the new or altered hereditament comes into occupation or as from the happening of the event by reason of which the alteration is made as the case may be.

• (3) Where, in the case of an alteration made in a valuation list by virtue of the said sections 71 to 78, the alteration affects the amount of any rate levied in respect of any hereditament in accordance with the list, then, subject to subsection (4) of this section, the difference—

• (a) if too much has been paid, shall be repaid or allowed; or

• (b) if too little has been paid, shall be paid and may be recovered as if it were arrears of the rate.

• (4) No liability shall be imposed or right conferred on any person by virtue of subsection (3) of this section to pay or receive the difference referred to in that subsection if that person had ceased to occupy or own the hereditament in question before—

• (a) the date when the proposal in pursuance of which the alteration in the valuation list was made was served on the valuation officer; or

• (b) if the proposal was made by the valuation officer, the date when notice thereof was served on the occupier of the hereditament.

Alteration of valuation list without proposal.

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• (1) Subject to subsection (2) of this section, the valuation officer may at any time cause to be made in a valuation list any alteration which is necessary to correct any clerical or arithmetical error therein and the list shall have effect, and be deemed always to have had effect, accordingly.

• (2) If the alteration referred to in the foregoing subsection is made in respect of any matter other than totals, the valuation officer shall, before causing the alteration to be made, send notice thereof to the occupier of the hereditament affected and to the rating authority of the rating area, and shall allow fourteen days to elapse during which any person concerned may make representations with respect to the proposed alteration.

• (3) The valuation officer may at any time, if so requested by the rating authority, cause a valuation list to be altered by the deletion therefrom of any hereditament which the valuation officer is satisfied has ceased to exist; and section 79(1) of this Act shall apply in relation to the alteration of a valuation list under this subsection as it applies in relation to its alteration under sections 71 to 78 of this Act with the substitution for the reference in the said section 79(1) to any rate current at the date specified therein of a reference to any rate current at the date of the request.

• (4) In addition to any alterations in the valuation list required by paragraph 9(4) or 11(9) to (11) of Schedule 4, paragraph 10(6) of Schedule 6 or paragraph 14(6) of Schedule 7 to this Act or by any order under section 35 of this Act or under paragraph 10 of the said Schedule 4 to be made without a proposal, the valuation officer shall without any proposal—

• (a) from time to time cause such alterations to be made in the list as may be requisite for deleting from the list any premises which by virtue of section 33(1)(a) of this Act are not liable to be rated;

• (b) cause the list to be altered by the deletion therefrom of any property which he is satisfied has, by virtue of section 38(2) of the Local Government Act 1966, ceased to be rateable.

Supplementary provisions as to proceedings.

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• (1) Any person may include in the same proposal, objection or other proceeding under this Part of this Act all or . any hereditaments comprised in the same valuation list as respects which he has a right to make or bring any such proposal, objection or other proceeding, notwithstanding that they are separately assessed in that list, if, but only if, those hereditaments are owned or occupied by the same person or are comprised in the same building.

• (2) Every owner who is rated under section 55 of this Act instead of the occupier, or who enters into an agreement with the rating authority under section 56 of this Act, in respect of any hereditaments shall, without prejudice to the rights of the occupier of any of those hereditaments, be treated for the purposes of the provisions of this Part of this Act relating to proposals, objections and appeals as standing in the same position as the occupier.

• (3) Where any premises are unoccupied, any reference in this Part of this Act to the occupier shall be construed as a reference to the owner of the premises:

Provided that, where the owner is unknown and by virtue of subsection (2) of section 109 of this Act a notice addressed to the occupier has been served in accordance with that section, that notice shall be deemed to have been duly served on the owner.

• (4) Any officer of a rating authority acting under any special or general resolution of the authority may authorise the institution, carrying on or defence of any proceedings, or the taking of any step, in relation to a valuation list which the authority are authorised or required to institute, carry on, defend or take.

Power for valuation officer to call for returns.

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• (1) In every case where a new valuation list is to be made for any rating area, the valuation officer may serve a notice on the occupier, owner or lessee of any hereditament or premises in the area, or on any one or more of them, requiring him or them to make a return containing such particulars as may be reasonably required for the purpose of enabling him accurately to compile the list.

• (2) The valuation officer may at any time in connection with a proposal which has been made for the alteration of the valuation list for the time being in force for a rating area, or with a view to the making of such a proposal, serve a notice on the occupier, owner or lessee of any hereditament or premises in the area, or on any one or more of them, requiring him or them to make a return containing such particulars as may be reasonably required for the purpose of enabling him to decide whether or not to make or, as the case may be, to object to the proposal.

• (3) Every person upon whom a notice to make a return is served in pursuance of the provisions of this section shall within twenty-one days after the date of the service of the notice make a return in such form as is required in the notice and deliver it in manner so required to the valuation officer.

• (4) If any person on whom notice has been served under the provisions of this section fails without reasonable excuse to comply with the notice, he shall for each offence be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding twenty pounds.

• (5) Where a person is convicted under subsection (4) of this section in respect of a failure to comply with a notice and the failure continues after the conviction, then, unless he has a reasonable excuse for the continuance of the failure, he shall be guilty of a further offence under the said subsection (4) and may, on summary conviction, be punished accordingly.

• (6) If any person, in a return made under this section, makes any statement which he knows to be false in a material particular or recklessly makes any statement which is false in a material particular, he shall be liable on summary conviction to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three months, or to a fine not exceeding one hundred pounds, or to both.

Use of returns as evidence.

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• (1) The provisions of this section shall apply to the use as evidence of—

• (a) any return made under section 82 of this Act, section 58 of the Local Government Act 1948, section 40 or 41 of the Rating and Valuation Act 1925, or section 55, 56 or 57 of the Valuation (Metropolis) Act 1869 ;

• (b) any return made in compliance with a request of the valuation officer, being a request made before 31st July 1953 for information which would have been reasonably required by the valuation officer for the purpose of preparing a valuation list if the Valuation for Rating Act 1953 had been in operation when the request was made.

• (2) Subject to the following provisions of this section, any return to which this section applies shall in any valuation proceedings be admissible as evidence of the facts stated in the return; and any document purporting to be a return to which this section applies shall, in any valuation proceedings, be presumed, unless the contrary is shown—

• (a) to be such a return ;

• (b) to have been made by the person by whom it purports to have been made ; and

• (c) if it purports to have been made by that person as occupier, owner or lessee of a hereditament, or in any other capacity specified in the document, to have been made by him as such occupier, owner or lessee, or in that other capacity, as the case may be.

• (3) Returns to which this section applies shall not be used by or on behalf of the valuation officer as evidence in any valuation proceedings unless—

• (a) not less than fourteen days' notice, specifying the returns to be so used and the hereditaments to which they relate, has previously been given to the person who made the proposal to which the proceedings relate (where the proposal was not made by the valuation officer) and to every person who has served, and has not unconditionally withdrawn, a notice of objection to the proposal; and

• (b) the valuation officer has permitted any such person, who has given not less than twenty-four hours' notice of his desire to do so, to inspect at any reasonable time, and to take extracts from, any of the returns specified in the notice under paragraph (a) of this subsection,

• (4) Subsections (2) and (3) of this section shall not apply to any proceedings relating to the ascertainment of the net annual value of a hereditament on the profits basis:

Provided that this subsection shall not be construed as preventing the use of any return in any such proceedings in circumstances where the return could be so used apart from this section.

• (5) Any person to whom notice relating to any hereditaments has been given under subsection (3)(a) of this section for the purposes of any valuation proceedings may give notice to the valuation officer specifying one or more other hereditaments as being hereditaments which are comparable in character or are otherwise relevant to the said person's case, and requiring the valuation officer—

• (a) to permit him at any reasonable time specified in the notice under this subsection to inspect, and (if he so desires) to take extracts from, all returns (if any) to which this section applies which relate to those other hereditaments and are in the possession of the valuation officer; and

• (b) to produce to him at the hearing such of those returns as before the hearing he has informed the valuation officer that he requires:

Provided that the number of hereditaments specified in a notice under this subsection shall not exceed the number of hereditaments specified in accordance with paragraph (a) of subsection (3) of this section in the notice given by the valuation officer under that paragraph.

• (6) Where a notice has been given to the valuation officer under subsection (5) of this section, and the valuation officer refuses or fails to comply with the notice, the person who gave the notice may apply to the court or tribunal before which the valuation proceedings in question are to be brought; and if on any such application the court or tribunal is satisfied that it is reasonable to do so, the court or tribunal may by order direct the valuation officer to comply with the notice, either with respect to all the hereditaments specified therein or with respect to such one or more of those hereditaments as the court or tribunal may determine.

• (7) Subsection (6) of this section shall apply, with the necessary modifications, to proceedings on an arbitration as it applies to proceedings before a court.

• (8) An appeal shall lie from the decision of a local valuation court on an application under subsection (6) of this section as if it were a decision in the valuation proceedings to which the application relates.

• (9) In this section " valuation proceedings " means any of the following, that is to say, any proceedings on or in consequence of an appeal to a local valuation court, and any proceedings on or in consequence of a reference to arbitration under section 78 of this Act.

Evidence of valuation lists.

84

The contents of a valuation list as for the time being in force, or an extract from any such list, may be proved by the v production of a copy of the list or of the relevant part thereof purporting to be certified by the clerk of the rating authority to be a true copy.

Duty of local authorities with respect to alteration of valuation list.

85

• (1) If in the course of the exercise of their functions any information comes to the notice of any local authority which leads them to suppose that a valuation list requires alteration as respects a hereditament it shall be the duty of that authority to inform the valuation officer.

• (2) In this section, the expression " local authority " means the council of a county, county borough, London borough or county district, the Greater London Council, or the Common Council of the City of London, and includes any joint committee of any two or more local authorities and any joint authority on which any local authority are represented.

Powers of entry of valuation officer.

86

• (1) The valuation officer and any person authorised by him in writing in that behalf shall have power, at all reasonable times and after giving not less than twenty-four hours' notice in writing and, in the case of a person authorised as aforesaid, on production if so required of his authority, to enter on, survey and value any hereditament in the area for which the valuation officer acts.

• (2) If any person wilfully delays or obstructs any person in the exercise of any of his powers under this section, he shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding five pounds.

Duty of rating authority to give effect to directions as to alteration of valuation list.

87

The rating authority shall give effect to any directions which may from time to time be given to them by the valuation officer in pursuance of any provision of this Act authorising or requiring the valuation officer to cause or direct alterations to be made in a valuation list.

Local valuation courts and panels

Constitution of local valuation courts and panels.

88

• (1) Local valuation courts constituted as hereinafter provided shall be convened as often as may be necessary for the purpose of hearing and determining appeals under the foregoing provisions of this Part of this Act against objections to proposals for the alteration of valuation lists.

• (2) The local valuation court which hears and determines an appeal with respect to any hereditament shall consist of members of a local valuation panel constituted under a scheme for the time being in force for the purposes of this section, being, subject to subsections (3) and (4) of this section, the panel for the area within which that hereditament is situated.

• (3) Regulations made by the Minister may provide, in relation to hereditaments the value of which is or may be ascertained on the profits basis, that jurisdiction as respects all or any of the hereditaments occupied for the purposes of a particular undertaking shall be exercised by a local valuation court consisting of members of such one of the local valuation panels within whose areas any of those hereditaments are situated as may be specified by or under the regulations.

• (4) The Minister may by regulations make provision whereby hereditaments which are within the same curtilage, or are contiguous and in the same occupation, but (in either case) not within the area of a single local valuation panel, shall be treated for the purposes of appeals to local valuation courts as both or all being within the area of such one of the local valuation panels in question as may be determined by or under the regulations; and any such regulations may revoke so much of any scheme for the purposes of this section as makes provision for treating as in the same area hereditaments which are within the same curtilage or contiguous and in the same occupation.

• (5) Subject to subsection (6) of this section, a local valuation court shall consist of—

• (a) either the chairman of the local valuation panel or the deputy chairman (or, if more than one, one of the deputy chairmen) of the panel; and

• (b) two other members of the panel selected in accordance with the scheme under which the panel is constituted.

• (6) If all persons appearing before a local valuation court on the hearing of an appeal consent thereto, the court may consist of any two of the persons mentioned in subsection (5) of this section ; but if the members of a court so constituted are unable to agree on a decision, the appeal shall be reheard by another valuation court.

Schemes for purposes of s.88.

89

• (1) Subject to section 90 of this Act, each scheme for the purposes of section 88 of this Act shall provide, as respects any local valuation panel to which the scheme relates—

• (a) for fixing the number of members of the panel and for determining their respective tenures of office and the persons by whom they are to be appointed respectively ; and

• (b) for the appointment of one of those members as chairman of the panel and of such number of the members as the scheme may provide as deputy chairmen thereof;

• (c) subject to the provisions of the said section 88, for the manner in which members of local valuation courts are to be selected from members of the panel.

• (2) Subject to section 91 of this Act, any scheme in force for any area on the date of commencement of this Act under section 45 of the Local Government Act 1948 or under paragraph 19 of Schedule 15 to the London Government Act 1963 : shall be in force for that area on and after that date for the purposes of the said section 88.

Disqualification for membership of panel.

90

• (1) Subject to the provisions of this section, a person shall be disqualified from being appointed or being a member of any local valuation panel if he is a person who—

• (a) has been adjudged bankrupt; or

• (b) has made a composition or arrangement with his creditors; or

• (c) has, within the five years immediately preceding his appointment or since his appointment, been convicted in the United Kingdom, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man of any offence and ordered to be imprisoned for a period of three months or more without the option of a fine.

• (2) A disqualification attaching to a person by reason of subsection (1)(a) of this section shall cease—

• (a) if the bankruptcy is annulled on the ground that he ought not to have been adjudged bankrupt or that his debts have been paid in full, on the date of the annulment; or

• (b) if he is discharged with a certificate that the bankruptcy was caused by misfortune without any misconduct on his part, on the date of his discharge; or

• (c) in any other case, on the expiration of five years from the date of his discharge.

• (3) A disqualification attaching to a person by reason of subsection (1)(b) of this section shall cease—

• (a) if he pays his debts in full, on the date on which the payment is completed; or

• (b) in any other case, on the expiration of five years from the date on which the terms of the deed of composition or arrangement are fulfilled.

• (4) For the purposes of subsection (1)(c) of this section, the ordinary date on which the period allowed for making appeal from a conviction expires, or, if such an appeal is made, the date on which it is finally disposed of or abandoned or fails by reason of the non-prosecution thereof, shall be deemed to be the date of the conviction.

New schemes for purposes of s.88.

91

• (1) Any scheme for the time being in force for the purposes of section 88 of this Act may be revoked or varied—

• (a) by a new scheme made and submitted to and approved by the Minister in accordance with subsections (2) to (5) of this section ; or

• (b) by a new scheme made by the Minister on a representation made by any local valuation panel or valuation officer and after consultation with any of the following councils concerned, namely, the council of any county or county borough and the Greater London Council.

• (2) A new scheme under subsection (1)(a) of this section for any area may be made by that one of the councils aforesaid within whose area the area to which the new scheme relates is situated; and any two or more of the councils aforesaid may, and if so directed by the Minister shall, make under the said subsection (1)(a) a joint new scheme providing for a local valuation panel or local valuation panels for the whole of their respective areas, or for areas which together comprise the whole of their respective areas.

• (3) The council or councils by whom a new scheme is made under subsection (1)(a) of this section shall submit it to the Minister and, as soon as they have so submitted it, shall publish in one or more newspapers circulating in their area or areas a notice stating that it has been so submitted and that a copy is open to inspection at a specified place.

• (4) Except in the case of a scheme submitted only by one or more county borough councils, the council or councils submitting a scheme under subsection (3) of this section shall, at the same time as they submit it, send a copy of it to each of the rating authorities within the area of that council or any of those councils.

• (5) No scheme submitted to the Minister under subsection (3) of this section shall be of any effect unless and until it is approved by the Minister; and the Minister, after considering any objections to the scheme which may be submitted to him by persons appearing to him to be interested, may approve the scheme with or without modifications.

• (6) Before a new scheme is made by the Minister under subsection (1)(b) of this section, he shall publish in one or more newspapers circulating in the area to which the scheme relates a notice stating his proposal to make the scheme, and that a copy of a draft of the scheme is open to inspection at a specified place, and specifying a date by which any person may send to him any representations respecting the draft.

Staff, expenses etc. of local valuation panels and courts.

92

• (1) To assist the panel, the chairman thereof and the local valuation courts constituted from members thereof in the performance of their functions under this Part of this Act, every local valuation panel shall appoint a person to be their clerk and may appoint such other officers and servants as they may with the approval of the Minister determine, and may pay to them such salaries, allowances and other remuneration as they may with the approval of the Minister and the Treasury determine, and every such panel shall be deemed for the purposes of the Local Government Superannuation Acts 1937 to 1953 to be a local authority included in Part I of Schedule 1 to the said Act of 1937; but the functions of the officers and servants appointed under this subsection shall not extend to the valuation of hereditaments, and the power to appoint officers and servants conferred by this subsection shall be exercised accordingly.

• (2) The expenses of every such panel, including the expenses of the local valuation courts from time to time constituted from the members thereof, shall be defrayed by the Minister out of moneys provided by Parliament.

• (3) Minutes of the proceedings of a local valuation panel and of a local valuation court constituted from members thereof shall be kept, and shall either be kept in books provided for that purpose or be preserved in book form by means provided for that purpose; and a minute of any such proceedings signed—

• (a) in the case of a meeting of the panel, at the same or the next subsequent meeting of the panel, by the person acting as chairman at the meeting at which the minute is signed ; and

• (b) in the case of a meeting of a local valuation court, at or not later than two days after the date of the meeting to which the minute relates, by the person acting as chairman at that meeting,

shall be received in evidence without further proof.

Supplementary provisions

Membership of local authority etc. not to be disqualification in certain cases.

93

• (1) A person shall not be disqualified to act as a member, or as the clerk or an officer, of a local valuation panel or local valuation court by reason only that he is—

• (a) a member of an authority deriving revenue directly or indirectly from rates which may be affected by the exercise of his functions; or

• (b) the owner or occupier of any property within any rating area the rates within which are affected by the exercise of his functions,

and a person shall not be disqualified from acting as aforesaid in relation to any property by reason only that an authority of which he is a member either own or occupy the whole or any part of that property.

• (2) A person shall not be disqualified to act as a valuation officer or deputy valuation officer by reason only that he is the owner or occupier of any property within any rating area the rates within which are affected by the exercise of his functions.

• (3) Nothing in this section shall authorise any person to whom this section applies to act in relation to any property which, or any part of which, he himself owns or occupies.

Use of public rooms.

94

• (1) The valuation officer may request the permission of any authority (being a county council, the Greater London Council or a rating authority) the whole or any part of whose area is within the area for which the officer acts for the use by him and his staff on such days or for such periods as may be specified in the request of such premises belonging to the authority as may be so specified, and the authority shall not unreasonably withhold their permission.

• (2) The chairman of any local valuation panel may request the permission of any such authority as aforesaid the whole or any part of whose area is within the area for which the panel acts for the use for meetings of the panel or any local valuation court constituted from the members of the panel, or for the use of the chairman, clerk or officers of the panel, on such days as may be specified in the request of any premises belonging to the authority, and the authority shall not unreasonably withhold their permission.

• (3) Any person having the control of any room maintained out of any rate may put that room at the disposal of the valuation officer or any local valuation panel or local valuation court for the purpose of the exercise by them or their officers, or, in the case of a panel, by the chairman thereof, of any functions directly or indirectly affecting the valuation list by reference to which that rate is levied.

• (4) Where a request is made under subsection (1) or (2) of this section, any dispute as to whether the permission of the authority in question has been unreasonably withheld shall be determined by the Minister.

Remuneration and expenses of valuation officers.

95

The remuneration of, and any expenses incurred by, valuation officers in carrying out their functions under this Part of this Act, including the remuneration and expenses of persons, whether in the service of the Crown or not, employed to assist valuation officers in the exercise of those functions, shall be paid out of moneys provided by Parliament.

PART VI — DISTRESS FOR RATES

Enforcement of payment of rates.

96

• (1) Subject to section 62 of this Act and to subsection (2) of this section, if any person fails to pay any sum legally assessed on and due from him in respect of a rate for seven days after has been legally demanded of him, the payment of that sum may, subject to and in accordance with the provisions of this Part of this Act, be enforced by distress and sale of his goods and chattels under warrant issued by a magistrates' court; and, if there is insufficient distress, he may be liable to imprisonment under the provisions of this Part of this Act in that behalf.

• (2) Where the rates charged on any person in respect of any hereditament are under section 3(4) or section 50(1) of this Act payable by instalments, those rates shall be recoverable only to the extent of each respectively of those instalments as and when it falls due; and for the purposes of subsection (1) of this section no sum by way of rates in respect of any year or part of a year shall be treated as having been legally demanded from any person in respect of any hereditament in respect of which he is entitled to give but has not given a notice under the said section 50(1) until the expiration of the period for the giving of such a notice by that person in that year.

• (3) The reference in subsection (1) of this section to a sum legally assessed on and due from a person in respect of a rate shall include a reference to a sum a person is liable to pay in respect of any rate to which section 177 of the City of London Sewers Act 1848 applies, and references in other provisions of this Part of this Act to a sum to which a person has been rated or to the rating or assessment of a person shall be construed accordingly.

Application for warrant of distress.

97

• (1) The proceedings for the issue of a warrant of distress under this Part of this Act may be instituted by making complaint before a justice of the peace and applying for a summons requiring the person named in the complaint to appear before a magistrates' court to show why he has not paid the rate specified in the complaint.

• (2) The forms of complaint and summons in Schedule 12 to this Act, or forms to the like effect, may be used in proceedings under this Part of this Act.

• (3) If the person summoned fails to appear in obedience to the summons and it is proved to the magistrates' court on oath, or in such other manner as may be prescribed by rules under section 15 of the Justices of the Peace Act 1949, that the summons was duly served a reasonable time before the time appointed by the summons for his appearance, the magistrates' court may, if it thinks fit, proceed in his absence as if he had appeared in person in obedience to the summons.

Statement of case on application for warrant.

98

The justices may state a case under the Magistrates' Courts Act 1952 when called upon to issue a warrant of distress under this Part of this Act.

Execution of warrant of distress.

99

• (1) A warrant of distress under this Part of this Act may be directed to the rating authority, to the constables of the police area in which the warrant is issued and to such other persons, if any, as the magistrates' court issuing the warrant may think fit, and the warrant shall authorise the persons to whom it is directed to levy the amount which the person against whom the warrant is issued is liable to pay by distress and sale of his goods and chattels.

• (2) The foregoing provisions of this Part of this Act shall not affect the operation of any enactment which protects goods and chattels of any class from distress or which restricts in any other manner the right to obtain a warrant of distress or its execution.

• (3) A warrant of distress under this Part of this Act may be executed anywhere in England or Wales by any person to whom it is directed or by any constable acting within his police area.

• (4) The forms of warrant of distress in Schedule 12 to this Act, or forms to the like effect, may be used in proceedings under this Part of this Act and, to save expense, one warrant of distress may be issued against any number of persons in default, as in the second of the said forms.

• (5) Any person aggrieved by a distress under this Part of this Act for a rate may appeal to the next court of quarter sessions for the area where the rate was made and the appeal shall be heard and finally determined by that court.

• (6) A distress under this Part of this Act shall not be deemed to be unlawful on account of any defect or want of form in the rate or assessment or in the warrant of distress and no person making the distress shall be deemed a trespasser on that account.

• (7) No person making a distress under this Part of this Act shall be deemed to be a trespasser from the beginning on account of any subsequent irregularity in the execution of the warrant of distress, but a person who has sustained special damage by reason of the irregularity may recover full satisfaction for the special damage (and no more) by proceedings in trespass or otherwise.

Costs of obtaining warrant of distress.

100

• (1) The magistrates' court issuing a warrant of distress under this Part of this Act may, if it thinks fit, include in the warrant an order that such sum as it may deem reasonable for the costs incurred in obtaining the warrant shall be levied under the warrant.

• (2) This section shall have effect subject to the restriction on the allowance of costs imposed by the Poor Rates Recovery Act 1862 (which, in a case where several rates of the same or different kinds are due from the same person, authorises their inclusion in one warrant of distress or other document and directs that no costs be allowed if several such documents are used where one would be enough).

Charges for levying distress.

101

• (1) The Minister may make an order regulating the charges in respect of, and incidental to, the levying of distress for rates; and a warrant of distress under this Part of this Act may provide that the charges attending the distress, to the amount authorised by the order, shall be levied under the warrant.

• (2) Without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing subsection, an order under this section may include provision as. to charges in cases where, in pursuance of an agreement in that behalf, the goods distrained are not removed from the premises where the distress is levied, whether any person is left in physical possession of the goods or not.

• (3) An order under this section may contain such incidental and supplementary provisions (including provisions as to the settlement of disputes with respect to any charges to which the order relates) as may appear to the Minister to be necessary or expedient for the purposes of the order.

Imprisonment in default of sufficiency of distress.

102

• (1) If the person charged with the execution of a warrant of distress for levying a sum to which some other person has been rated makes a return to the magistrates' court that he could find no goods or chattels (or no sufficient goods or chattels) on which to levy the sums directed to be levied under the warrant on that other person's goods and chattels, a magistrates' court may, if it thinks fit, and subject to the provisions of section 103 of this Act, issue a warrant of commitment against that other person.

• (2) A warrant of commitment under this section may be directed to the rating authority, to the constables of the police area in which the warrant is issued and to such other persons, if any, as the magistrates' court issuing the warrant may think fit; and the warrant may be executed anywhere in England or Wales by any person to whom it is directed or by any constable acting within his police area.

• (3) The warrant of commitment shall be made not only for non-payment of the sum alleged to be due for rates but also for—

• (a) such costs incurred in obtaining the warrant of distress as may have been included in the warrant of distress;

• (b) the charges attending the distress ; and

• (c) the costs of commitment;

and the said costs and charges shall be stated in the warrant of commitment.

• (4) The form of warrant of commitment in Schedule 12 to this Act, or a form to the like effect, may be used in proceedings under this Part of this Act.

• (5) The order in the warrant of commitment shall be that the said person be imprisoned for a time therein specified but not exceeding three months, unless the sums mentioned in the warrant shall be sooner paid ; but if payment is made in accordance with rules under section 15 of the Justices of the Peace Act 1949 of part of the said sums mentioned in the warrant, the period of imprisonment shall be reduced by such number of days as bears to the total number of days in the period specified in the warrant less one day the same proportion as the amount so paid bears to so much of the said sums as was due at the time when the period of imprisonment was imposed; and in calculating the reduction required under this subsection any fraction of a day shall be left out of account.

• (6) A single warrant of commitment shall not be issued under this section against more than one person.

Inquiry as to means before issue of warrant of commitment.

103

• (1) Section 102 of this Act shall have effect subject to and in accordance with the following provisions:—

• (a) on the application for the issue of a warrant for the commitment of any person, the magistrates' court shall make inquiry in his presence as to whether his failure to pay the sum to which he was rated and in respect of which the warrant of distress was issued was due either to his wilful refusal or to his culpable neglect;

• (b) if the magistrates' court is of opinion that the failure of the said person to pay the said sum was not due either to his wilful refusal or to his culpable neglect, it shall not issue the warrant.

• (2) Where on the application no warrant of commitment is issued, the magistrates' court may remit the payment of any sum to which the application relates, or of any part of that sum.

• (3) Where on the application no warrant of commitment is issued, the application may be renewed, except so far as regards any sum remitted under subsection (2) of this section, on the ground that the circumstances of the person to whom the application relates have changed.

• (4) A statement in writing to the effect that wages of any amount have been paid to a person during any period, purporting to be signed by or on behalf of his employer, shall be evidence of the facts therein stated in any proceedings taken before a magistrates' court under this Part of this Act against that person.

Attendance of defaulter for purposes of inquiry.

104

• (1) For the purpose of enabling inquiry to be made in . his presence as to the conduct and means of a person in relation to whom a return of insufficiency of distress has been made a mentioned in section 102(1) of this Act, a justice of the peace having jurisdiction in the petty sessions area in which the return is made may at any time issue a summons to that person to appear before a magistrates' court having jurisdiction under this Part of this Act and, if he does not appear in obedience to the summons, may issue a warrant for his arrest or, without issuing a summons, issue in the first instance a warrant for his arrest.

• (2) Where a warrant is issued under this section, then, unless the sum in respect of which the warrant is issued is sooner paid to the police officer holding the warrant, the warrant may be executed in the like manner, and the like proceedings may be taken for the execution thereof, in any part of the United Kingdom, as if it had been a warrant of arrest issued under section 15 of the Magistrates' Courts Act 1952.

Abatement of proceedings on payment of rate and costs.

105

• (1) If after proceedings have been taken under this Part of this Act against a person to compel payment of any sum for rates, but not after he has been imprisoned in default of a sufficiency of distress, that person pays or tenders to the rating authority, or to some other person authorised to receive the rates, the sum sought to be recovered together with the amount of all costs and charges up to that time incurred in the proceedings, the rating authority or other person shall accept the amount so paid or tendered and no further proceedings shall be taken for the recovery thereof.

• (2) If after the issue of a warrant of distress under this Part of this Act for a rate the person against whom it is issued tenders the amount of the rate before any levy is made, he shall nonetheless be liable to pay the cost of the warrant and of any person for his attendance to make the levy.

Jurisdiction of justices.

106

• (1) Subject to the provisions of section 104(1) of this Act, justices of the peace may act under the provisions of this Part of this Act as respects a rate if they are justices appointed for an area which comprises the rating area or, in Greater London, a part of the rating area.

• (2) Subject to any enactment in any other Act authorising a stipendiary magistrate or other person to act by himself, a magistrates' court shall not hear a summons for the issue of a warrant of distress under this Part of this Act, or entertain an application for a warrant of commitment under this Part of this Act, or hold an inquiry as to means on such an application, except when composed of at least two justices.

Application of other Acts.

107

• (1) For the purposes of section 122(3) of the Magistrates' Courts Act 1952 (under which enactments passed before 16th December 1949 may be amended by rules governing the procedure of magistrates' courts), this Part of this Act shall be deemed to have been passed before that date.

• (2) Nothing in the Distress (Costs) Act 1817, as extended by the Distress (Costs) Act 1827 (which make provision as to the costs and expenses chargeable in respect of the levying of certain distresses) shall apply to distress for rates.

PART VII — Miscellaneous and general

Inspection of documents.

108

• (1) Any ratepayer (whether a ratepayer in the rating area to which the documents relate or in some other area) and any valuation officer (for whatever area) may at all reasonable times, on payment in the case of a document which is more than ten years old of the prescribed fee, and in any other case without payment, inspect and take copies of and extracts from—

• (a) any valuation list, whether prepared under Part V of this Act, under Part III of the Local Government Act 1948, or under the Rating and Valuation Act 1925 ;

• (b) any draft list prepared under the said Act of 1925;

• (c) any notice of objection, proposal or notice of appeal with respect to any such valuation list;

• (d) minutes of the proceedings of any local valuation court constituted under the said Part V or Part III;

• (e) any record of totals prepared under the said Act of 1925;

• (f) any valuation made by a valuer appointed by an assessment committee constituted under the said Act of 1925;

• (g) minutes of the proceedings under the said Act of 1925 of any such assessment committee ;

• (h) minutes of the proceedings under this Act or the said Act of 1925 of any rating authority.

• (2) If any person having the custody of any document to which subsection (1) of this section applies—

• (a) obstructs any person in making any inspection or taking a copy thereof or extract therefrom which he is entitled to make under this section ; or

• (b) demands, when not authorised under this Act, a fee for allowing him so to do,

he shall on summary conviction be liable for each offence to a fine not exceeding five pounds.

• (3) For the purposes of this section the expression " ratepayer " includes an occupier who pays a rent inclusive of rates. and also includes any person authorised by a ratepayer to act on his behalf under this section.

Service of notices, etc.

109

• (1) Any notice, demand note, application, summons, order or other document of any description required or authorised to be sent, given, made or served under or for the purposes of this Act may be sent, given, made or served either—

• (a) by delivering it to the person to or on whom it is to be sent, given, made or served; or

• (b) by leaving it at the usual or last known place of abode of that person, or in the case of a company at its registered office; or

• (c) by forwarding it by post addressed to that person at his usual or last known place of abode, or in the case of a company at its registered office; or

• (d) by delivering it to some person on the premises to which it relates or (except in the case of a summons) if there is no person on the premises to whom it can be so delivered, then by fixing it on some conspicuous part of the premises ; or

• (e) without prejudice to the foregoing provisions of this subsection, where the hereditament to which the document relates is a place of business of the person to or on whom it is to be sent, given, made or served, by leaving it at, or forwarding it by post addressed to that person at, the said place of business.

• (2) Any such document as aforesaid by this Act required or authorised to be served on the owner or occupier of any premises may be addressed by the description of " owner " or " occupier " of the premises (naming them) without further name or description.

• (3) Any such document as aforesaid—

• (a) if required or authorised for the purposes of this Act to be sent, given, made or transmitted to or served on any public or local authority shall be deemed to be duly sent, given, made, transmitted or served if in writing and delivered at or sent by post to the office of the authority addressed to that authority or to their clerk;

• (b) if required or authorised to be sent, given, made, transmitted or served under this Act by any authority or body shall be sufficiently authenticated if signed by the clerk of the authority or body.