Rates Act 1984

PART IIIOther Provisions Relating to Rates and Precepts

13Duty to consult industrial and commercial ratepayers

(1)Every authority to which Part I of this Act applies shall in each financial year consult persons or bodies appearing to it to be representative of industrial and commercial ratepayers in its area about its proposals for expenditure and the financing of expenditure in the next financial year.

(2)The duty under subsection (1) above shall be performed by an authority in each financial year before it determines for the purposes of section 2 or 11 of the [1967 c. 9.] General Rate Act 1967 the amount of its total estimated expenditure for the next financial year.

(3)In performing that duty an authority shall have regard to any guidance issued by the Secretary of State concerning—

(a)persons or bodies to be regarded for the purposes of this section as representative of industrial and commercial ratepayers; and

(b)the timing and manner of consultation under this section.

(4)An authority shall make available to the representatives whom it proposes to consult under this section such information concerning its past and proposed expenditure and financing of expenditure as may be prescribed by regulations made by the Secretary of State.

(5)The power to make regulations under subsection (4) above shall be exercisable by statutory instrument subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament.

(6)For the purposes of this section the area of the Inner London Education Authority is the Inner London Education Area.

14Provision of information to ratepayers

(1)Rules under section 113 of the General Rate Act 1967 may require a rating authority to serve with any demand note for a rate a notice containing information—

(a)as to the past or proposed expenditure of—

(i)the rating authority ; or

(ii)any authority by which a precept has been issued to the rating authority,

and as to the financing of that expenditure ; and

(b)as to any increase or reduction in the rates made by the rating authority or in the precepts issued to it.

(2)Rules under that section may require an authority having power to issue precepts to serve notices on ratepayers in its area containing information—

(a)as to its past or proposed expenditure and as to the financing of that expenditure ; and

(b)as to any increase or reduction in the precepts issued by the authority.

(3)Rules made by virtue of this section may make different provision for different cases; and any notice required to be served by rules made by virtue of this section shall be in such form (if any) as the rules may prescribe.

(4)An authority having power to issue precepts to a rating authority shall supply that authority with such information as is reasonably necessary for enabling it to comply with any requirements imposed by rules made by virtue of subsection (1) above; and a rating authority shall supply an authority having power to issue precepts to it with such information as is reasonably necessary for enabling the precepting authority to serve any notices required by rules made by virtue of subsection (2) above.

15Notice of rates payable in respect of dwelling-house

(1)Every rating authority shall within three months after a rate is made serve a notice under this section on each occupier of a dwelling-house in its rating area, being an occupier to whom lids section applies.

(2)This section applies to an occupier—

(a)to whom the rating authority has not issued and does not intend to issue a demand note for the rate ; and

(b)who does not occupy the dwelling-house jointly with another person to whom the rating authority has issued or intends to issue such a demand note.

(3)A notice under this section shall contain or be accompanied by—

(a)such information as may be prescribed concerning the rate and the amount of it chargeable in respect of the dwelling-house; and

(b)such additional information (if any) as has been or will be included in or sent with demand notes for the rate issued or to be issued by the authority to occupiers of dwelling-houses.

(4)The [1967 c. 9.] General Rate Act 1967 and this section shall have effect as if this section were contained in that Act.

16Miscellaneous amendments and repeals

(1)The enactments mentioned in Schedule 1 to this Act shall have effect subject to the provisions of that Schedule.

(2)Schedule 2 to this Act shall have effect with respect to the rating of moorings.

(3)Section 170 of the [1972 c. 70.] Local Government Act 1972 (schemes for equalisation of rates in metropolitan counties) is hereby repealed.