§ Mrs. Margaret EwingTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland why Scottish farmers are receiving poll tax demands at the standard charge rate in respect of empty farm cottages.
§ Mr. LangEverybody who is liable to pay the standard charge in respect of a property will receive a demand notice from the appropriate levying authority. However, if the property is unoccupied and unfurnished and the person liable for the charge has notified the levying authority under section 10(8A)(b) of the Abolition of Domestic Rates Etc. (Scotland) Act 1987 that this is the case, no 517W charge will be payable in respect of that property for three months or such longer period as the levying authority has determined, subject to the other provisions of section 10 of the Act. These arrangements apply in respect of owners and long-term tenants of empty farm cottages. We have however announced our intention to remove these properties from the standard community charge arrangements and have consulted on proposals for doing so. We are studying the responses to that consultation and hope to be in a position shortly to announce what the new arrangements will be.
§ Mrs. Margaret EwingTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish(a) what information he has on the number of seasonally let farm cottages in Scotland, (b) the average occupancy of let in terms of weeks and (c) the percentage of annual income attributable to Scottish farmers from holiday letting of farm cottages.
§ Mr. Michael ForsythI regret that the information sought is not available.