HC Deb 15 February 1988 vol 127 cc455-6W
Mr. Bradley

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he next proposes to update his estimate of the number of individual gainers and losers under his community charge proposals.

Mr. Howard

On 13 January 1988, I placed a note in the Library which showed my latest estimate of the number of gainers and losers from the community charge proposals. This replaced the estimates published in the Green Paper "Paying for Local Government" (Cmnd. 9714) in January 1986. No further update is presently proposed.

Mr. Nicholas Bennett

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he has received any proposals to replace the present domestic rating system with a system of rates based on capital values plus a local income tax; and what was his response.

Mr. Howard

Of those who responded to the Green Paper "Paying for Local Government", 48 advocated a combination of rates and local income tax, compared with 283 who supported the community charge. The Government have consistently drawn attention to the short-comings of domestic rates and of LIT. In combination, they would fail to provide accountability, be very volatile, produce big changes in bills, and be extremely complicated and expensive to administer.

Mr. Riddick

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has now come to a decision as to the percentage of the cost of implementing the community charge which the Government intend to contribute to local authorities; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Howard

These are matters under discussion with local authority associations. The cost of the community charge will be taken account of in the 1989–90 RSG settlement.

Mr. Ashdown

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what will be the total benefit to the Exchequer as a result of charging overseas students the full community charge; and what would be the difference in the returns to the Exchequer between charging overseas students the full poll tax and treating them in the same way as other students.

Mr. Howard

Overseas students on full-time courses in this country will have to pay only 20 per cent. of the community charge, under the provisions of clause 12 of the Local Government Finance Bill, in common with other full-time students.