Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994

27 Valuation areas and authorities and appointment of assessors etc. S

(1) Each local authority area shall be a valuation area, and the council of each area shall be the valuation authority for that area; and on and after 1st April 1996 the valuation authorities constituted under this section shall have and exercise in relation to valuation the powers exercisable by valuation authorities immediately prior to that date.

(2) Every valuation authority shall, in accordance with the provisions of this section, appoint an assessor and such number of depute assessors as the authority may consider necessary for the purposes of the Valuation Acts; and any assessor or depute assessor appointed under the 1973 Act by a regional or islands council and holding office immediately before 1st April 1996 shall cease to hold office on that date.

(3) The Secretary of State shall by order prescribe the qualifications required to be possessed by any person appointed to the office of assessor or depute assessor and, except as otherwise provided in such an order, a person shall not be appointed as assessor or depute assessor unless he possesses the qualifications so prescribed.

(4) A depute assessor appointed under this section shall have and may exercise all the functions of an assessor so appointed.

(5) An assessor or depute assessor appointed under this section shall hold office on such reasonable terms and conditions, including conditions as to remuneration, as the authority appointing him think fit.

(6) An assessor or depute assessor appointed under this section shall hold office during the pleasure of the valuation authority but shall not be removed from office (or required to resign as an alternative thereto) except—

(a) by a resolution of the authority passed by not less than two-thirds of the members present at a meeting of the authority the notice of which specifies as an item of business the consideration of the removal from office of the assessor or his being required to resign; and

(b) with the consent of the Secretary of State,

and before deciding whether or not to give such consent the Secretary of State shall give the authority and the assessor an opportunity of being heard by a person appointed by the Secretary of State.

(7) If it appears to the Secretary of State that any functions, or any functions in any area, of two or more valuation authorities should be discharged jointly by those authorities, he may by order establish a joint board in accordance with this section.

(8) An order under this section shall delegate to the joint board such of the functions of the valuation authorities concerned under the Valuation Acts as may be specified in the order and may include such incidental, consequential and supplemental provision as the Secretary of State considers necessary or expedient for bringing the order into operation and for giving full effect thereto.

(9) Without prejudice to the generality of subsection (8) above, an order under this section may include provision with respect to—

(a) the constitution and proceedings of the joint board;

(b) matters relating to the membership of the joint board;

(c) the transfer to the joint board of any property, rights and liabilities of the authorities concerned;

(d) the transfer to the joint board of any staff of the authorities concerned;

(e) the supply of services or facilities by the authorities concerned to the joint board; and

(f) the dissolution of the joint board,

and may, without prejudice to the generality of paragraphs (a) to (f) above, apply (with or without modifications) any of the provisions of Part V of the 1973 Act to a joint board established under this section as those provisions apply to a joint committee.

(10) A joint board established under this section shall be a body corporate and shall have a common seal.

(11) An order under this section shall be made by statutory instrument subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament.

(12) Any reference in any enactment to a valuation authority shall, where any function to which that enactment relates is for the time being exercised by a joint board established under this section, include any such joint board.