HC Deb 23 April 1990 vol 171 cc19-20
59. Mr. Pike

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether he has any plans to visit north-east Lancashire.

The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (Mr. Kenneth Baker)

I visited eight towns in Lancashire and Cheshire last Wednesday. I have no immediate plans to visit north-east Lancashire.

Mr. Pike

As one of the architects of the poll tax, were the right hon. Gentleman to visit north-east Lancashire he would find that 80 per cent. of the people are losers. Does he accept that many thousands of people in north-east Lancashire cannot afford to pay the poll tax? Does he further accept that the two Lancashire Tory Members of Parliament who are not Ministers are opposed to the poll tax?

Mr. Baker

The community charge in Burnley is high because of the high-spending activities of Lancashire county council. The hon. Gentleman might like to ask the hon. Member for Copeland (Dr. Cunningham) about the cost of Labour's proposed roof tax in Burnley. If he does not receive a reply, I should be happy to tell him that for a house in Burnley valued at £52,350—which, according to the Halifax building society, is the average for the hon. Gentleman's constituency—a single occupant would be £6.02 a week worse off.