Rates

HC Deb 18 June 1974 vol 875 cc104-6W

59. Mr. Ridley

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will seek an early meeting with the local authority associations to discuss the reform of the rating system.

60. Mr. Leslie Huckfield

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will seek a meeting as soon as possible with the local authority associations to discuss reforming the rating system.

Mr. John Silkin

I am always willing to consider suggestions by local authority associations for reforming the rating system. A meeting would come best after I have studied any such suggestion.

Mr. Skeet

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what grant aid would have been required in Bedfordshire to enable the local authorities in the county to maintain on average the rates of 10 per cent. above the previous year's figure; and if he will compare this figure with the amount granted.

Mr. Oakes

Rates depend on the revenues and expenditures of local authorities as well as on rate support grant. Complete information on 1974–75 rates and expenditure in Bedfordshire is not available to the Department.

PERCENTAGES OF RATEABLE VALUES IN ENGLAND
Year	Domestic Per cent.	Commercial Per cent.	Industrial Per cent.	Miscellaneous Per cent.
1963–64	…	…	…	48.34	23.59	15.64	12.43
1964–65	…	…	…	47.50	22.89	15.14	14.47
1965–66	…	…	…	47.77	22.68	14.83	14.72
1966–67	…	…	…	47.91	22.70	14.58	14.81
1967–68	…	…	…	47.88	22.76	13.86	15.50
1968–69	…	…	…	48.23	22.72	13.75	15.30
1969–70	…	…	…	48.19	22.73	13.59	15.49
1970–71	…	…	…	48.11	22.80	13.43	15.66
1971–72	…	…	…	48.11	22.78	13.34	15.77
1972–73	…	…	…	48.19	22.85	13.24	15.72
1973–74	…	…	…	49.17	26.01	11.95	12.87
The figures given for 1973–74 do not reflect the revaluation of Crown property

Source: "Rates and Rateable Values in England and Wales" H.M.S.O.

Mr. Urwin

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the average rate precept in the £ for, (a) non-metropolitan counties in England, and, (b) metropolitan counties; what is the precept for the three highest and the three lowest in each case for the year 1974–75; how much each county received by way of rate support grant; and what amounts were lost to them as a result of the redistribution formula.

Mr. Oakes

The average precepts for 1974–75 for (a) non-metropolitan counties in England and (b) metropolitan counties are estimated at 40.6p and 18.3p in the pound respectively. The highest and lowest precepts are as follows:

(a) Non-metropolitan counties (England)
			p in the £
Highest
Cleveland	…	…	52
Durham	…	…	47.92
Bedfordshire	…	…	47
Lowest
Cornwall	…	…	36.5
Berkshire	…	…	36
Cumbria	…	…	36
(b) Metropolitan counties			p in the £
Tyne & Wear	…	…	24
Merseyside	…	…	19.9
South Yorkshire	…	…	17.8
Greater Manchester	…	…	17.5
West Yorkshire	…	…	17.5
West Midlands	…	…	16.8

Mr. Craigen

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish a table showing the percentage of rateable value in England payable by (a) domestic, (b) commercial, (c) industrial and (d) miscellaneous subjects for each of the last 10 years for which figures are available.

Mr. Oakes

The information is as follows:

Only the domestic element of the rate support grant 1974–75 was redistributed by the present Government; this element is not paid to county councils.

The amounts of grant payments to counties were given in the reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Caerphilly (Mr. Evans) on Tuesday 9th April.—[Vol. 872, c. 115.]