§ 43. Mr. Tebbitasked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many staff will be employed within his Department to examine the budgets of local authorities in order to assess if their 314W rate demands are consistent with Government policy.
§ Mr. Graham PageUp to 16 staff have been engaged on rate monitoring.
§ 64. Mr. Loughlinasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will arrange for each domestic ratepayer to be provided with a breakdown of all factors included in the notional rent and on which the rates of the domestic property is based.
§ Mr. Graham PageNo.
§ 65. Mr. Stonehouseasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what reply he has given to the letter from the Town Clerk of Walsall dated 16th March, requesting him to receive a deputation from the finance committee on the question of the relief of domestic rates.
§ Mr. Graham PageA letter is being sent to the county borough today indicating that there would be no useful purpose in holding such a meeting.
§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) how many letters he has received from local authorities since the Budget asking for extra financial assistance with rates; and how much additional assistance he has given;
(2) how many requests he has received since the Budget to meet deputations to discuss rates; how many he has accepted; and how many he has rejected.
§ Mr. Graham PageMy right hon. and learned Friend has had two such meetings with local authorities. He has had a few letters from other local authorities requesting further financial assistance or a meeting with a deputation, or both. The Government consider that the domestic relief announced on 6th March, together with the unprecedentedly generous rate support grant settlement and the improved measures for rate rebates, strikes a fair balance between assistance to ratepayers and taxpayers. In these circumstances further meetings with deputations could serve little purpose.