§ Mr. Andrew BowdenTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment in how many cases the granting of an exemption from the personal community charge on the grounds of severe mental impairment has resulted in increased community charge liability for relatives of the disabled person through (i) a reduction in the partner's community charge benefit or (ii) a lowering of the amount of community charge reduction received by one or more other individuals in the household; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. KeyThe information requested is not available. However, the conditions in which the community charge liability of other members of a household may rise following the exemption of one person, are either that the benefit payable to a couple one of whom is exempt may be adjusted according to the new comparison between the couple's joint resources and its lower joint liability, or that a household's entitlement to help under the community charge reduction scheme may fall since the gap between its original rates bill and its new gross community charge is narrowed.