To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 22 May 2006, Official Report, column 1444W, on the Valuation Office Agency, whether the Valuation Office Agency's council tax automated valuation model holds (a) data from the index of multiple deprivation and (b) crime statistics in any form. (78247)

The Valuation Office Agency's (VOA's) automated valuation model (AVM) neither (a) uses nor (b) holds data on these matters.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how the 10,000 neighbourhoods in the Valuation Office Agency's automated valuation model were designated; and whether they correlate with existing territorial classifications. (78255)

The Valuation Office Agency (VOA) has identified approximately 10,000 localities for use within its automated valuation model (AVM). Each locality represents a geographic area within which domestic property prices are influenced by the same or similar market forces. The extent of each locality was determined, and then refined during the AVM analysis process, by experienced chartered surveyors employed within the VOA using their market and valuation knowledge. The VOA has not tested the extent to which locality boundaries correlate with existing territorial classifications although localities do not extend beyond local authority boundaries for operational reasons.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the technical limit is of the number of photographs that the Valuation Office Agency's digital photography application can hold. (78324)

There is no technical limit on the number of photographs that can be held by the Valuation Office Agency's digital photography application.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the name is of the Valuation Office Agency's digital photography application. (78325)

The Valuation Office Agency's digital photography application is a bespoke application, written in ORACLE 9i software, and is simply referred to as “Digital Photography”.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether the Valuation Office Agency uses geocodes in its automated valuation model. (78380)

The Valuation Office Agency (VOA) uses only the National Land and Property Gazeteer “x, y co-ordinates” for spatial coding in its automated valuation model (AVM). No geocode data on proximity to geographic features or facilities is used.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether the Valuation Office Agency's Automated Valuation Model uses census data. (78654)

No.