3 July 2001
A groundbreaking report on partnership working in
the local taxation field between government and local authorities
has now been published. It is the culmination of a project to develop
a range of innovative joint working practices between the Valuation
Office (from its office in Hull) and the Kingston upon Hull City
Council.
The report is part of the Modernising government initiative to
break down barriers between departments, agencies and local authorities.
It aims to improve the quality and integrate the services to members
of the public. The report makes over 70 recommendations for change
and improvement to business rates and council tax administration
in Hull and offers a framework model of partnership working that
others may wish to adopt.
Pointing to the success of the project, Bruce Jones, Director of
Modernisation, Valuation Office and Martin Mancey, Group Director
of Hull City Services for the Council highlighted a number of ideas
for improvement some of which have already been implemented locally
including:-
- The electronic transfer of data previously done manually.
- Joint training programmes bringing staff of both organisations
together.
- Shortening the time that cases take to pass through the system.
- Streamlining the administrative system to give the public a
better service.
- Agreeing local service targets that are focussed on the customer
not the organisations.
- Getting the views of local taxpayers and building their comments
into continuous action plans for improvement.
For further detail and to view the whole report, please visit the
publications section of the Valuation Office website at www.voa.gov.uk
Notes for editors
- The Valuation Office
in Hull forms part of the Sheffield Group.
- The project is the
first of a small number to be promoted by the VOA/ Local Government
Association joint steering group on the modernisation of rates
and council tax administration.
- The project was set
up to review the non-domestic rating and council tax processes
in both organisations and is the first time the VOA has worked
with an outside organisation in this way.
- The modernisation
joint steering group has been set up centrally with representatives
from key stakeholder groups and organisations, including Department
of Transport, Local Government and the Regions, Valuation Tribunals,
private sector rating surveyors, the Confederation of British
Industry, the Federation of Small Businesses, British Retail Consortium
and a number of local authorities.
- The Valuation Office is an executive
agency of the Inland Revenue with around 4000 employees. Its main
activities (in England and Wales only) are valuations for rating
and banding of properties for council tax. In Scotland, England
and Wales the agency establishes valuations for Inheritance and
Capital Gains tax for the Inland Revenue, for right to buy and
carries out valuations of land and buildings for a wide range
of public sector clients.
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