15 May 08: VOA Press Release
The Valuation Office Agency (VOA) has embarked upon a process of achieving better value for money by scanning some 27 million of its paper based property records covering both domestic and non-domestic property.
As well as leading to substantial accommodation savings in the future because office space for records storage will no longer be needed, it will also improve the service to customers as VOA staff dealing with enquiries will be able to access property records on screen without having to search for paper records.
Security will be paramount during the project, with records being securely destroyed following the scanning process. Once the electronic documents are available, access will be password protected and restricted to VOA staff who have a business need to view the documents; all VOA staff sign security and confidentiality agreements and are legally bound by the civil service code of conduct.
The records concerned include details of age, size and construction of properties, including an outline plan of the property where relevant. The records to be scanned also include historic registers of property transactions up to the early 1990s, all of which help the Agency fulfil its statutory function in maintaining up-to-date rating assessments and lists of council tax bandings, whilst maintaining valuation functions for capital gains and inheritance tax. No new information is being captured - only that already held by the Agency.
The process will commence during summer 2008 and is due to finish in the spring of 2009. Further scanning of other VOA records will take place later.
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