20 May 2005
Scotland has no plans for a council tax property revaluation, First Minister Jack McConnell has revealed.
A revaluation is under way in England and one has already taken place in Wales and, during first minister's questions, Scottish National Party deputy leader Nicola Sturgeon called on McConnell to admit that Labour favoured property revaluation.
Sturgeon said: 'The truth is that the first minister cannot admit that he has such a policy because he knows that a revaluation would be, to quote Iain Smith [a Liberal Democrat MSP] "disastrous".'
McConnell replied: 'There are no plans for a property revaluation in Scotland for the council tax or for any other purpose at this time.'
A Scottish Executive spokesman confirmed that there would be no revaluation in Scotland before the Scottish Parliament elections in 2007.
The Scottish review committee, headed by Sir Peter Burt, a former chief executive of the Bank of Scotland, is considering changes to the council tax system as well as alternatives such as a local income tax. It is due to report in 2006.
PFmay2005
