HC Deb 27 March 1991 vol 188 cc424-5W
Mr. Speller

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress has been made in establishing the Rate Collection Agency.

Mr. Needham

I am pleased to announce that the Rate Collection Agency will be established as an executive agency of the Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland with effect from 1 April 1991. It is responsible for the collection of rates and administration of the housing benefit scheme for owner-occupiers. I am confident that the new status as a "next steps" agency willlead to a significant and sustained improvement in the delivery of this important public service. I am delegating full managerial authority for the agency's day-to-day operations to the chief executive. The policy and resources framework for the agency is set out in the framework document, copies of which are being placed in the Library of the House. For 1991–92, the following targets have been set for the agency:

  1. (i) To reduce debt to below 2 per cent. of the gross collectable rate, excluding late assessments, by 31 March 1992.
  2. (ii) To achieve a reduction of 1.6 per cent. in the real value of the unit costs of collecting rates per hereditament.
  3. (iii) To generate refunds to 90 per cent. of ratepayers so entitled within 14 days of credits being identified.
  4. (iv) To process by 31 March 1992, 75 per cent. of applications in respect of the incoming year received from existing housing benefit recipients before 16 March 1992.
  5. (v) To achieve a 1.5 per cent. reduction in the real value of the unit costs of processing housing benefit applications.
  6. (vi) To achieve 96 per cent. of housing benefit assessments free of error.

The Rate Collection Agency has also to achieve running costs cash efficiency savings of at least 1.5 per cent. in addition to projected non-cash efficiency savings.