HC Deb 07 March 1978 vol 945 cc572-3W
Mr. Moate

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what provisions exist to permit certain local authorities to maintain rate differentials between urban and rural areas; if these provisions are transitional; and if it is Government policy for these differentials to be phased out.

Mr. Guy Barnett

The Local Government (Differential Precepting and Rating) Order of 1974 made under Section 254 of the Local Government Act 1972 required district councils—and non-metropolitan county councils—to operate temporary differential rating schemes after reorganisation in those cases where there were significant variations between the poundages formerly charged in the component parts of a new local authority area. The last of these schemes comes to an end on 31st March 1978, after which the general expenses of any authority must be reflected in a uniform rate poundage throughout the authority's area.

Under Section 147(3) of the Local Government Act 1972 a district council may, however, declare any expenses incurred by it to be special expenses chargeable only on a part of its area; and, exceptionally, certain expenses of a local authority may be statutorily defined as special expenses chargeable only on a limited area. The provisions of Section 147(3) are not transitional and the Government have no intention of phasing them out.