MP's plea on tax snoopers

Council tax inspectors who snoop on family homes in a bid to re-evaluate taxes must "come clean", a Shropshire MP demanded today.

Philip Dunne also demanded Government inspectors from the Valuation Office Agency reveal their plans to increase taxes on homes.

Mr Dunne said new evidence had emerged that the Government is preparing for a council tax revaluation across England.

The Tory MP for Ludlow said Labour's aim was to increase tax bills to "fill the deep black hole in Britain's ruined public finances".

He said leaked Government presentations have revealed how the features of every home are being recorded, logged, digitised and entered into a new Government database.

Using complex mathematical techniques, the council tax banding of every home will then be re-calculated, pushing up council tax bills for the targeted homes.

Features being logged by inspectors include architectural styles, fascias and even sash windows.

They also include whether people live in a quiet road, have a patio, roof terrace or balcony and the number of bedrooms, bathrooms, gar- age spaces and parking spaces. People living near fields or golf courses or with sea or hill views could also be penalised with higher taxes, according to Mr Dunne.

Moving up a tax band would increase the council tax bill for a typical home in Shropshire from £1,472 to £1,799, a rise of £327 a year.

Mr Dunne said: "Labour's claims the council tax re-valuation in England had been shelved have been exposed as a complete sham. Prime Minister Gordon Brown's council tax inspectors have been caught red-handed preparing the way for massive tax rises on Shropshire after the election to fill the deep black hole in Britain's ruined public finances.

"The Government must now come clean and make clear exactly how many homes in Shropshire have been secretly logged and recorded to date.

"People who rent will be taxed just as heavily as those who own their home.

"Only Labour would think of taxing people for looking out of their own windows or having a nice patio.

"Conservatives will scrap these tax raising plans and abolish council tax inspectors' rights of entry into your home."

By Sophie Bignall