HC Deb 10 June 1980 vol 986 cc158-9W
Mr. Michael Spicer

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment, if domestic rates were replaced by a poll tax, how many adults would pay this tax without rebate, assuming that under a poll tax the same proportion of people receiving rate rebate might receive a poll tax rebate.

Mr. King

: Since the reply I gave to my hon. Friend on 19 May—[Vol. 985, c. 69]—revised calculations have been made on this subject. I now give the information in reply to both questions as follows.

In 1979–80 domestic rates raised about £2.7 billion in Great Britain. If a poll tax were to raise a similar sum from all adults over 18 years (about 40 million people), and if as with domestic rates about one-sixth received a rebate, then around 32 million would pay an unrebated tax. The average payment would be about £80 a year from each of these individuals (not £90 as in my earlier answer).