§ Mr. John Mooreasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish in the Official Report a table showing for each present member State of the EEC for each year since 1960 the number of passenger cars per 1,000 population.
§ Mr. MarksFollowing are the figures:
are not subject to rate rebate; what would be the total cost of extending the rate rebate scheme to such charges either to the Exchequer or the general body of ratepayers; whether the matter has been discussed with the local authority associations; and what proposals he has to deal with this position.
§ Mr. Denis HowellThe rate rebate scheme is designed to help people who have difficulty paying the rates levied by local authorities. Water services charges are charges in the same sense as those levied by other public utilities and are thus quite separate. I have no plans to alter this situation, nor have I available sufficient data to establish the cost of an extension on the lines the hon. Member 23W proposes. Water services charges are, of course, taken into account in the calculation of supplementary benefit.