§ Mr. Bishopasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he 77W will give for the period 1960 to date under previous rate rebate legislation and under the current Rate Rebate Act, the number of recipients of rebates, the average amount paid and the total amount paid each year.
§ Mr. SkeffingtonThere were no rate rebates before the present scheme. The previous Government's Rating (Interim Relief) Act, 1964, provided for discretionary relief to a limited number of ratepayers suffering hardship from the 1963 revaluation, and the total relief that it produced during its four years' life was less than £¼ million. Under the rate rebate scheme, introduced in 1966, rebates became available as of right to all low-income householders not already getting help with their rates by other means, and the results to date in England and Wales have been as follows:
Number of recipients Average amount of rebate Total of rebates afforded £ £ million 1966–67 … 896,498 14. 9 13. 4 1967–68 … 785,809 15. 65 12. 3