Local Government Act 2003

85 Vacant dwellings: use of information obtained for council tax purposes E+W

In Schedule 2 to the Local Government Finance Act 1992 (c. 14) (council tax: administration), after paragraph 18 there is inserted—

“18A (1) A billing authority may use information it has obtained for the purpose of carrying out its functions under Part 1 of this Act for the purpose of—

(a) identifying vacant dwellings, or

(b) taking steps to bring vacant dwellings back into use.

(2) The power under sub-paragraph (1) above, so far as relating to personal information, extends only to information which consists of an individual’s name or an address or number for communicating with him.

(3) In this paragraph—

• “personal information” means information which relates to an individual (living or dead) who can be identified—

  (a)

  from that information, or

  (b)

  from that information and other information of the authority,

  and includes any expression of opinion about the individual and any indication of the intentions of any person in respect of the individual;

• “vacant dwelling” means a dwelling in which no one lives and which is substantially unfurnished.”