Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of asking the Valuation Office Agency to develop an automated valuation model for calculating (a) council tax and (b) business rates valuations in England.

The Valuation Office Agency (VOA) provides the independent and expert valuations that underpin the business rates and council tax systems. Following the passing of the 2023 Non-Domestic Ratings Act, business rates revaluations will now be conducted every three years, with the next taking place in 2026.  There has also been significant investment in the VOA in the last five years through, upgrading the VOA’s IT infrastructure and digital capabilities for valuations across both the council tax and business rates systems.