Valuation Office Agency

Mr. Pickles
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the Valuation Office Agency’s definition is of a dwellinghouse.

Mr. Woolas
A “dwelling” is defined for council tax purposes in Section 3 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992. The Valuation Office Agency has no separate definition of dwellinghouse.

Mrs. Spelman
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether provisions in the contract between Cole Layer Trumble and her Department prevent discussion in public by the company on its (a) Computer Assisted Mass Appraisal and (b) Automated Valuation Model products and assistance.

Mr. Woolas
No contract exists between Cole Layer Trumble and the Department for Communities and Local Government.

Mr. Pickles
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 6 December 2006, Official Report, column 474W, on the Valuation Office Agency, how many domestic properties in (a) Solihull and (b) Birmingham are classified with the FC code.

Mr. Woolas
As at 3 January 2007 there were (a) 448 and (b) 12,685 domestic properties with the FC code in (a) Solihull and (b) Birmingham.