HC Deb 13 July 1994 vol 246 cc641-2W
Mr. Bradley

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what are the latest figures available for the level of use of(a) direct payments from benefits and (b) attachment of earnings, for each council tax collecting local authority in England and Wales.

Mr. Hague

I understand from my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment that the information is not available centrally.

Mr. Bradley

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security why local authorities' responses to his Department's research on the amount of estimated council tax benefit local authorities were expecting to have processed by the end of March 1993 were not published in the report "Preparing for Council Tax Benefit" published in August 1993; and if he will now publish these responses.

Mr. Hague

Although the question was included in a departmental circular to local authorities giving examples of the type of information that might be required, it was not included in the research questionnaire subsequently issued. Professional advice was that responses to such a question would be inaccurate, as an estimate of council tax benefit case load assessed would have been based on an already estimated case load figure. The information is not therefore available.

Mr. Bradley

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the estimated cost of reducing the council tax benefit taper(a) from 20 per cent. to 15 per cent. and (b) from 20 per cent. to 10 per cent.

Mr. Hague

The cost is estimated to be £110 million and £300 million in 1994 and 1995 respectively.

Source: Estimates use data drawn from the 1989–90–91 Family Expenditure Surveys and modelled at 1994–95 prices and benefit levels. Costs are rounded to the nearest £5 million.