General Rate Act 1967

108Inspection of documents.

(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 [1948 c. 26.] Local Government Act 1948, or under the [1925 c. 90.] 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.