London Government Act 1963

Modifications of Act of 1925 and other enactments

14 Without prejudice to any modification having effect by virtue of Part I or Part III of this Schedule, any reference to a general rate in any enactment relating to rating and valuation, including the Rating and Valuation Act 1925, shall, in relation to the City, include a reference to a poor rate and, in relation to the Temples, be construed as a reference to any rate in the nature of a general rate levied in the Inner Temple or the Middle Temple, as the case may be.

15 (1) Without prejudice to the operation of any other enactment relating to the recovery of rates, where—

(a) any hereditament in a rating area in Greater London is occupied upon terms which provide that the owner shall pay the general rate charged on that hereditament; and

(b) the occupier of the hereditament would in any proceedings against him by the rating authority to enforce payment of that rate be entitled to claim diplomatic immunity,

the owner shall be liable to pay to the rating authority an amount equal to so much of any payment in respect of rent received by him from the occupier as represents the proportion of rate included in that payment, and that amount may be recovered from the owner in the same manner and subject to the same conditions as rates recoverable from the occupiers of rated hereditaments.

(2) In this paragraph—

(a) the expression “diplomatic immunity” means immunity from suit and legal process which is accorded by law to an envoy or other public minister of a foreign sovereign power accredited to Her Majesty, or to the family or official or domestic staff of such an envoy or minister or to the families of .any such staff, and includes any like immunity and any exemption or relief from rates which is conferred on any person or organisation by or under the International Organisations (Immunities and Privileges) Act 1950 or the Diplomatic Immunities (Commonwealth Countries and Republic of Ireland) Act 1952 ;

(b) (the expression “owner” in relation to a hereditament 'includes any person who receives any rent of the hereditament whether on his own account or as agent or trustee for another person.