HC Deb 04 November 1970 vol 805 cc357-8W
64. Mr. Arthur Lewis

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he is aware that many local authorities have been charging rates to ratepayers for, in part, the cost of refuse collection and disposal, and that for weeks such collection and disposal services have not been supplied; and whether he will take steps for ratepayers to reclaim payments made for which no services have been supplied or made available to the ratepayer.

Mr. Peter Walker

Taking one year with another rates are levied to meet the actual costs of the services provided by local authorities after Government grants and other income have been taken into account; the second part of the Question does not therefore arise.