To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what arrangements he has for assessing the rateable values of newly built properties for water rate purposes; what is his estimate of the number of staff employed in England for this purpose and their cost; and whether the water plcs, central Government or local authorities meet these costs.

There is no need for such arrangements. For all newly built domestic properties, water companies are charging on bases other than rateable value. If a water company has decided to use rateable value for the time being as the basis for charging in the case of newly built non-domestic properties, rateable values for those properties will in any case have been assessed for the purpose of the uniform business rate.