HC Deb 16 February 1990 vol 167 cc435-6W
Mr. Teddy Taylor

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement setting out the criteria which he applies in capping the levels of community charge levied by local councils.

Mr. Chope

We have made it clear that if local authorities insist on budgeting excessively we shall not hesitate to cap them, but I cannot speculate on the detailed operation of any capping scheme that might be needed.

Mr. O'Brien

To ask the Secreatary of State for the Environment whether community charge payers have the right of appeal to the valuation and community charge tribunal over the level of the poll tax; what other matters may be appealed about to the tribunal; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Chope

There is no right of appeal to a valuation and community charge tribunal about the level of an authority's community charge. Local authorities decide the level of their charges, and are accountable directly to their residents for their decisions at the ballot box. The community charge matters on which an appeal may be made to a tribunal are set out in section 23 of the Local Government Finance Act 1988. We shall shortly be laying regulations prescribing the circumstances under which appeals on matters relating to non-domestic rating may be made to a tribunal.

Mr. Vaz

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment which local authorities have indicated to him that they will not be able to accept his estimate of the poll tax figures in their area.

Mr. Chope

No estimates of community charges have been published by the Department. We have, however, published exemplifications showing what the charge would be in each area if authorities continue with the current pattern of raising revenue and spend in aggregate £32.8 billion. A number of authorities have indicated that they will raise more income than is consistent with that figure, and that charges will therefore be higher than our exemplifications.