§ Mr. FrenchTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what guidance was given by his Department to local authorities on the recruitment of suitably qualified computer systems operators for processing community charge payments;
(2) what guidelines were issued by his Department on the operation of computer systems for processing community charge payments.
§ Mr. ChopeMy Department has issued guidance to local authorities and the major computer companies on the operation of all aspects of the community charge. We continue to keep them up to date as necessary with any changes in the arrangements. It is the responsibility of local authorities, which vary greatly in size and requirements, to ensure that they have suitable computer systems and staff to operate them.
§ Mr. HigginsTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what powers local authorities have to charge a different rate of community charge to those with two sets of accommodation in the light of individual circumstances.
§ Mr. Portillo[holding answer 11 July 1990]: Local authorities have a wide discretion in levying the standard community charge on the owners of domestic properties which are not used as a sole or main residence. They may at the beginning of each financial year set for the whole of that year the multiplier for the standard charge at zero, half, one, one and a half or two times the personal community charge for the area. If the authority wishes, different multipliers may be set for different classes of circumstances providing these do not exceed the maximum multipliers prescribed for 11 particular circumstances defined in regulations. Authorities may also determine, within defined criteria, their own further classes for the purpose of applying different multipliers. They may also in certain classes prescribe periods of grace within which no charge is payable. Multipliers cannot be varied during the course of a year.
My right hon. Friend is currently reviewing the use that authorities have made of their discretion during 1990–91 and may in due course propose further classes which are to be subject to maximum multipliers in 1991–92 and future years.
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§ Mrs. MahonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what estimate has been made of the extra administration costs for each authority which has been capped.
§ Mr. Portillo[holding answer 12 July 1990]: As my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State made clear in his statement on 3 April 1990 about community charge capping in England—Official Report, Volume 170, column 1033—we estimate that the costs per authority will be about £200,000 per charging authority. The Secretary of State took account of this amongst the other relevant factors in deciding on the appropriate levels of cap.
§ Mrs. MahonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the average increase across England in standard spending assessments as against grant-related expenditure assessments for 1990–91 against 1989–90; what were the figures for Calderdale; and what were the causes of the deviation between Calderdale and the national average.
§ Mr. Portillo[holding answer 12 July 1990]: Standard spending assessments (SSAs) for 1990–91 were around 10 per cent. higher than the total of grant-related expenditure assessments (GREs) for 1989–90, adjusted on to a comparable basis. The equivalent increase for Calderdale was 4.1 per cent. The SSA for Calderdale was calculated, as for all authorities, according to the formulae set out in the Revenue Support Grant Distribution Report (England) approved by the House on 18 January, using the appropriate data (as described in annex A to that report) for Calderdale, reflecting its social, physical and demographic characteristics.
§ Mrs. MahonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the cost of administering the rates each year since 1979 in each of the authorities which have been capped.
§ Mr. Portillo[holding answer 12 July 1990]: The information as returned by authorities is given in the table:
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Cost of rate collection 1979–80 £000 Rochdale 564 Wigan 675 St. Helens 444 Barnsley 422 Doncaster 532 Rotherham 245 North Tyneside 771 Calderdale 335 Camden 854 Greenwich 572 Hammersmith and Fulham 615 Islington 841 Lambeth 800 Southwark 787 Brent 738 Haringey 747 Hillingdon 548 Bristol 987 Basildon 184
1980–81 £000 Rochdale 675 Wigan 825 St. Helens 566 Barnsley 443 Doncaster 659 Rotherham 485 North Tyneside 922 Calderdale 385 Camden 1,228 Greenwich 681 Hammersmith and Fulham 920 Islington 783 Lambeth 1,202 Southwark 1,001 Brent 930 Haringey 917 Hillingdon 685 Bristol 1,206 Basildon 217
1981–82 £000 Rochdale 584 Wigan 911 St. Helens 590 Barnsley 734 Doncaster 700 Rotherham 552 North Tyneside 1,219 Calderdale 534 Camden 1,817 Greenwich 721 Hammersmith and Fulham 950 Islington 1,286 Lambeth 1,014 Southwark 1,246 Brent 1,171 Haringey 813 Hillingdon 782 Bristol 1,129 Basildon 237 450W
1982–83 £000 Rochdale 636 Wigan 1,092 St. Helens 599 Barnsley 887 Doncaster 688 Rotherham 601 North Tyneside 1,113 Calderdale 594 Camden 1,652 Greenwich 924 Hammersmith & Fulham 1,045 Islington 1,398 Lambeth 932 Southwark 1,184 Brent 1,226 Haringey 803 Hillingdon 810
£000 Bristol 1,353 Basildon 271
1983–84 £000 Rochdale 697 Wigan 1,082 St. Helens 660 Barnsley 923 Doncaster 625 Rotherham 556 North Tyneside 794 Calderdale 640 Camden 1,431 Greenwich 1,595 Hammersmith & Fulham 1,157 Islington 1,742 Lambeth 1,167 Southwark 1,324 Brent 2,036 Haringey 923 Hillingdon 970 Bristol 1,414 Basildon 319
1984–85 £000 Rochdale 682 Wigan 982 St. Helens 558 Barnsley 745 Doncaster 643 Rotherham 475 North Tyneside 555 Calderdale 818 Camden 1,480 Greenwich 1,639 Hammersmith and Fulham 961 Islington 1,894 Lambeth 1,103 Southwark 1,213 Brent 2,074 Haringey 827 Hillingdon 969 Bristol 1,213 Basildon 253 451W
1985–86 £000 Rochdale 666 Wigan 1,058 St. Helens 720 Barnsley 1,043 Doncaster 682 Rotherham 627 North Tyneside 598 Calderdale 605 Camden 1,509 Greenwich 1,693 Hammersmith and Fulham 808 Islington 2,576 Lambeth 1,103 Southwark 1,059 Brent 2,643 Haringey 862
£000 Hillingdon 977 Bristol 1,336 Basildon 306
1986–87 £000 Rochdale 675 Wigan 1,071 St. Helens 727 Barnsley 1,161 Doncaster 772 Rotherham 691 North Tyneside 776 Calderdale 710 Camden 1,589 Greenwich 2,108 Hammersmith and Fulham 887 Islington 1,968 Lambeth 1,710 Southwark 998 Brent 1,682 Haringey 924 Hillingdon 937 Bristol 1,460 Basildon 367
1987–88 £000 Rochdale 774 Wigan 1,259 St. Helens 620 Barnsley 952 Doncaster 846 Rotherham 793 North Tyneside 1,208 Calderdale 637 Camden 1,554 Greenwich 1,516 Hammersmith and Fulham 1,503 Islington 2,194 Lambeth 1,756 Southwark 1,132 Brent 1,853 Haringey 1,019 Hillingdon 1,088 Bristol 1,470 Basildon 385 452W
1988–89 £000 Rochdale 822 Wigan 1,473 St. Helens 500 Barnsley 943 Doncaster 856 Rotherham 943 North Tyneside 1,303 Calderdale 571 Camden 1,462 Greenwich 1,858 Hammersmith and Fulham 1,937 Islington 2,126 Lambeth 1,804 Southwark 1,189
£000 Brent 1,449 Haringey 827 Hillingdon 1,045 Bristol 1,636 Basildon 490
1989–90 £000 Rochdale 837 Wigan 1,375 St. Helens 793 Barnsley 981 Doncaster 1,046 Rotherham 704 North Tyneside 1,151 Calderdale 526 Camden 1,389 Greenwich 1,197 Hammersmith and Fulham 2,853 Islington 2,833 Lambeth 2,007 Southwark 1,562 Brent 2,253 Haringey 891 Hillingdon 1,191 Bristol 1,683 Basildon 561
§ Mrs. MahonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what extra resources the Government will make available to each poll tax-capped authority.
§ Mr. Portillo[holding answer 12 July 1990]: The Government will make available to authorities no extra resources as a consequence of designation for charge capping.
§ Mr. FrenchTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received from the clearing banks about the workings of the direct debit system to process community charge payments.
§ Mr. ChopeMy Department has been in close touch with the major clearing banks, the Association for Payment Clearing Services and local authorities about the use of direct debits for community charge payments. We have issued guidance to local authorities on the use of direct debit in our practice note on collection of the community charge. Since the commencement of the community charge system on 1 April 1990 we have not received any representations from the clearing banks.