§ 25. Mr. Evelyn Kingasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he will introduce amending legislation in order to ensure that caravan dwellers are not liable for payment of back rates which the site owner has already paid.
§ Mr. MacCollNo, Sir. Where caravanners become subject to individual assessment and thereby liable for rate-arrears, the site-operator normally becomes eligible for a rate-refund in respect of the same period, so no double rate-payment will in the end have been made.
§ Mr. KingIs the hon. Gentleman aware of the monstrous injustice at Sleepe, near Wareham, where, due to a sudden decision to rate sites individually, constituents are being asked for enormous retrospective sums, which they do not possess and cannot pay which have already been paid by the landlord on whom there is no certain legal obligation to reimburse?
§ Mr. MacCollThat is a decision not of my right hon. Friend but of the courts.