11In section 6 of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1975 (valuation by formula of certain lands and heritages) for subsection (1) there shall be substituted the following subsection—
“(1)In the case of such lands and heritages as may be prescribed or of any class or description of such lands and heritages as may be prescribed, the Secretary of State may by order provide that their rateable values or the aggregate amount of their rateable values shall be—
(a)such as is prescribed; or
(b)such as is determined in accordance with prescribed rules.”
12(1)In section 9 of that Act (payment of rates pending valuation appeal) for subsection (1) there shall be substituted the following subsection—
“(1)Notwithstanding that an appeal under the Valuation Acts is pending with respect to any lands and heritages the rates levied on those lands and heritages shall be payable in accordance with section 8 of this Act.”
(2)The amendment made by sub-paragraph (1) above shall not have effect as regards any lands and heritages with respect to which an appeal under the Valuation Acts is pending at the date of commencement of that sub-paragraph.
13After section 9 of that Act there shall be inserted the following section—
(1)Where any amount, in excess of such limit as may be prescribed, has been paid in error to a rating authority in respect of rates and the rating authority repays the amount the rating authority shall also pay to the person to whom the repayment is made interest on the amount at such rate as may be determined in accordance with subsection (3) below.
(2)No payment of interest under subsection (1) above shall be made after the end of the sixth year after that in respect of which the amount was paid in error unless application for repayment was made before that time.
(3)The rate of interest referred to in subsection (1) shall be such rate—
(a)as the Secretary of State may prescribe; or
(b)as is to be determined in such manner as he may prescribe,
and regulations made under this subsection may not make provision for a rate of interest in respect of any period before the regulations come into force.
(4)Subsections (1), (2) and (3) above shall apply to the repayment of the amount of an overpayment which a rating authority is required to repay under section 9(2) of this Act as they apply to the repayment of an amount referred to in the said subsection (1).
(5)This section shall not require the payment of interest in respect of any period before the commencement of paragraph 13 of Schedule 12 to the Local Government Finance Act 1988; and subsection (4) above shall not have effect in relation to any repayment in consequence of an appeal which was lodged before such commencement.”