§ Mr. GouldTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he has any plans to introduce the community charge in Northern Ireland.
§ Mr. Cope[holding answer 20 March 1990]: 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.
148W
§ Mr. GouldTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps he has taken to ensure that the local government finance system in Northern Ireland is fair and accountable; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Cope[holding answer 20 March 1990]: Since 1973 the provision of local authority-type services in Northern Ireland has been on a very different basis from the rest of the United Kingdom. Ninety per cent. of the expenditure on these services is administered by Northern Ireland departments as a fully integral part of the public expenditure survey systems and as such is subject to the full scrutiny of Parliament. The remaining 10 per cent. is administered by the district councils. In those circumstances, Northern Ireland has not experienced the problem of accountability which has been a key issue in the Government's approach to the reform of local authority finance in Great Britain.
§ Mr. GouldTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether he has any plans for a revaluation of property for domestic rating purposes in Northern Ireland.
§ Mr. Cope[holding answer 20 March 1990]: The case for both commercial and domestic revaluation of property in Northern Ireland is kept under review. Any plans would, as in the past, be announced well in advance.