HC Deb 21 February 1990 vol 167 cc925-7
13. Mr. Hayward

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what action he is taking to maximise the take-up of community charge rebates.

Mr. Chris Patten

The Government have recently mounted an effective public information campaign using television, radio, newspapers and magazines. This has been designed to ensure that all those entitled to benefit or transitional relief who need to apply for those reductions are aware of the action they need to take.

Mr. Hayward

Does my right hon. Friend agree that the best rebate that the residents of Bristol could have is a decision by Bristol and Avon councils not to impose a community charge 71 per cent. above the Government's estimated figure, producing probably the highest poll tax of any authority in the country? Should not it be rate-capped immediately?

Mr. Patten

I very much sympathise with the first part of my hon. Friend's supplementary question. It is intolerable for some Labour councils and councillors who purport to be concerned about their community charge payers to propose indefensible increases in spending and in community charges which will clobber those about whom they pretend to care.

Mr. Pike

Is the Minister aware that however successful his campaign may be in spreading the word about the availability of rebates, many thousands of people will not get the rebates to which they are entitled, many thousands of those who get them will, in any event, be far worse off than they are now and many millions of people who are not entitled to rebates will suffer poverty and deprivation as a result of the poll tax? Will the Government give the poll tax the chop before they get the chop for introducing it?

Mr. Patten

The community charge benefits are more generous than those that were available under domestic rates. That is a major reason why the initial research on the community charge in Scotland suggests that low-income households are paying a smaller proportion of their total incomes by way of community charge than they paid in domestic rates. The rebates now available are more generous than those available under domestic rates.

Mr. Ralph Howell

As it is a main plank of our policy that as many people as possible should stand on their own two feet, how does the Minister square the fact that in 1939, 3 million people were in receipt of rates rebates, that today over 5 million people receive it and that when the community charge comes into operation, 11 million people will be deemed to be unable to pay the full charge?

Mr. Patten

The main reason for those changes is that, thank heaven, we are more generous today than we were in 1939 at providing greater assistance to those in lower-income households. Another reason for the increase in the past three years is that the community charge will be paid by everybody. Everybody will make a contribution. That is fair.

Mr. Cartwright

How does the right hon. Gentleman justify the fact that the level of personal savings at which entitlement to poll tax benefit is lost is exactly the same for a married couple as for a single person? How can that be fair?

Mr. Patten

For the same reasons as apply to other benefits. The issue has been taken up with the Chancellor of the Exchequer from time to time.

Mrs. Maureen Hicks

Does my right hon. Friend accept that although we are widely publicising community charge benefit eligibility, many people find difficulty in discovering whether they are eligible to be assessed? As they are also having trouble understanding the bureaucratic forms, will my right hon. Friend ensure that we deal with such matters early so that people's anxieties are reduced and they learn at an early stage whether they are eligible?

Mr. Patten

My hon. Friend makes an important point. It was with those objectives in mind that we launched the advertising campaign, which was criticised by some Opposition Members, although I think that even they now concede that it was effective. I hope that it results in take-up being increased and ensures that people understand the benefits system more clearly.