HC Deb 24 February 1988 vol 128 cc233-4W
45. Mr. Douglas

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the current stage of consultations between his Department and relevant bodies in Scotland with regard to the registration of severely mentally handicapped people for poll tax purposes.

Mr. Michael Forsyth

My right hon. and learned Friend has consulted widely on the procedures required to identify severely mentally handicapped persons to be exempted from liability to pay the personal community charge. Responses to this consultation are currently being considered.

Mr. Menzies Campbell

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what measures he proposes to take to prevent the evasion of the standard community charge through the registration of one spouse at a married couple's main residence and the other at a second home.

Mr. Lang

The standard community charge is payable only in respect of dwelling houses which are not the sole or main residence of any person. The question where a person is solely or mainly resident will depend on the facts and circumstances of each case. It will be for community charges registration officers, in making up the community charges register, to satisfy themselves in each case as to whether a person is solely or mainly resident in particular premises: their decisions will be subject to appeal under the provisions of Section 16 of the Abolition of Domestic Rates Etc. (Scotland) Act 1987.