§ 26. Mrs. Margaret Ewingasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on current progress being made towards the implementation of the community charge in 1989.
§ Mr. LangMy right hon. and learned Friend will shortly make a commencement order bringing into force the Abolition of Domestic Rates Etc. (Scotland) Act 1987. Regulations will then be made covering the detailed operation of the new system in good time for the necessary preparatory work to be undertaken by local authorities for the introduction of the system on 1 April 1989.
§ 27. Mr. McAvoyasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what he expects will be the cost to Scottish local authorities in compiling the community charge register in the first year in which it will be operational.
§ Mr. LangMy right hon. and learned Friend estimates that expenditure of up to £9 million will be necessary in 1988–89 on the establishment of the register and the preparation of new billing and collection systems.
§ Mr. McFallasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what will be the maximum level of rebate available to the unemployed and to the low paid under the community charge system.
§ Mr. LangThe community charge rebate scheme will follow closely the revised arrangements for rate rebates which will be introduced in April 1988 under the258W provisions of the Social Security Act 1986. The draft housing benefit regulations recently circulated to local authorities confirm that, to promote accountability, the Government expect everyone who is liable to pay domestic rates to make a minimum contribution of 20 per cent. of their rates bill: the maximum rebate will therefore be 80 per cent.
In setting income support levels from 1 April 1988 under the new social security arrangements, the Government will take the minimum contribution to rates into account. Similar principles will apply to the community charge.
§ 31. Mr. Wilsonasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will delay introduction of the poll tax until such time as parallel legislation is on the statute book for England and Wales.
§ Mr. LangMy right hon. and learned Friend expects that the legislation establishing a community charge system for England and Wales will have been passed by Parliament well before the system is introduced in Scotland on 1 April 1989.
§ 49. Mr. Strangasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has any plans to meet representatives of the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities to discuss the setting up of arrangements to collect the community charge; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. RifkindI have consistently made clear my willingness to have consultations with the convention about the legislation.
§ 54. Mr. Hoodasked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many representations he has received from Scottish local authorities (a) supporting and (b) opposing the introduction of the community charge as a replacement for domestic rates.
§ Mr. LangMy right hon. and learned Friend has received representations from the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities and from 39 individual local authorities on rating reform since the publication of the Green Paper "Paying for Local Government" (Cmnd. 9714). While most local authorities oppose the community charge system in principle, many representations include comments in favour of some of the proposals and against others. It is not therefore possible to provide the information in precisely the form requested.
§ 55. Mr. Macdonaldasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the impact of the Abolition of Domestic Rates, Etc. (Scotland) Act 1987 on crofters and peripheral rural areas.
§ Mr. LangThe impact of our proposals will depend on individual and household circumstances. It is not therefore appropriate to make any general assessment of their impact on these groups whose circumstances will vary widely. Rebates will be available for those on low incomes who would otherwise have difficulty in meeting their full community charge liability.
§ Mr. Worthingtonasked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many extra staff he estimates local authorities will need to employ to implement the poll tax legislation in 1989; and at what cost.
§ Mr. LangMy right hon. and learned Friend estimates that expenditure of up to £9 million will be necessary in 259W 1988–89 on the establishment of the register and preparation of new billing and collection systems for the community charge in Scotland. He also estimates that the total additional cost to local authorities in running the system from 1 April 1989 onwards will be in the range of £17 to £22 million per year. It will be for individual local authorities to consider the manpower implications of the plans for their own areas.
§ Mr. David Marshallasked the Secretary of State for Scotland when he next plans to meet the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities to discuss the administrative and financial arrangements for the implementation of the Abolition of Domestic Rates etc. (Scotland) Act.
§ Mr. RifkindI have consistently made clear my willingness to have consultations with the convention about the legislation.