§ Mr. Patrick Jenkinasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether he will take steps to enable rate payments to be deferred for a given period in cases where hardship is caused by the practice of assessing rate rebates in a particular rating half-year by reference to income in the previous calendar half-year.
§ Mr. SkeffingtonRating authorities have discretion as to the enforcement of the payment of rates due to them and I think that it is best to leave them to deal with cases of hardship in the light of the particular facts and circumstances.