Local Government Act 1948

45 Submission and approval of schemes.

(1) It shall be the duty of the council of every county and county borough to make and submit to the Minister a scheme for the constitution of a local valuation panel for the county or county borough or two or more local valuation panels for areas which together comprise the whole of the county or county borough :

Provided that any two or more councils, whether councils of counties or of county boroughs, may, and, if so directed by the Minister, shall, make and submit to the Minister a joint scheme for the constitution of a local valuation panel or local valuation panels for the whole of their respective areas, or for areas which together comprise the whole of their respective areas.

(2) As soon as a scheme has been submitted to the Minister under this section, the council or councils submitting the scheme shall publish in one or more newspapers circulating in their area or areas a notice stating that the -scheme has been so submitted and that a copy is open to inspection at a specified place; and, where the said area or areas or either of them' are counties, the council or councils submitting the scheme shall, at the same time as they submit it, send a copy thereof to each of the rating authorities within that county or, as the case may be, those counties.

(3) No scheme submitted to the Minister under this section shall be of any effect unless and until it is approved by the Minister, and the Minister, after considering any objections to the scheme which may be submitted to him by persons appearing to him to be interested, may approve the scheme with or without modifications.

(4) If, on the expiration of nine months from the date of the coming into force of this section, there remains any area which is not covered by any of the schemes which have by then been submitted under this section, or which is covered only by a scheme which the Minister is not prepared to approve, the Minister may himself make, a scheme for the constitution of a local valuation panel or local valuation panels for that area, and the scheme when so made shall have effect as if it had been submitted by the council of the county or county borough in question or, as the case may be, by the councils of all the counties and county boroughs in question, and had been approved by the Minister.

(5) Any scheme made under this section may be revoked or varied—

(a) by a new scheme made and submitted to and approved by the Minister in accordance with the provisions (subject to any necessary modification) of subsections (1) to (3) of this section ; or

(b) by a new scheme made by the Minister on a representation made by any local valuation panel or valuation officer and after consultation with the council of any county or county borough concerned.

(6) Before a scheme is made by the Minister under this section, he shall publish in one or more newspapers circulating in the area to which the scheme relates a notice stating his proposal to make the scheme, and that a copy of a draft of the scheme is open to inspection at a specified place, and specifying a date by which any person may send to him any representations respecting the draft.