§ Mr. SillarsTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans the Government have to introduce a poll tax in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Ian Stewart[holding answer 10 April 1989]: The Green Paper of January 1986 "Paying for Local Government", which formed the basis for the Great Britain reforms, made it clear that the proposals did not apply to Northern Ireland. This reflected the fact that local government arrangements in Northern Ireland are significantly different from those in the rest of the United Kingdom and we have no present plans to replace the existing system.