§ Mr. Brightasked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether the previous Government's proposal to substitute capital valuation for the present method of calculating domestic rates has now been abandoned.
§ Mr. Brightasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what would be the cost at current 1979 prices of introducing local income tax, as suggested in the Lay-field report, in place of the present domestic rating system.
§ Mr. KingThe Layfield report estimated that the administrative cost of introducing local income tax in England and Wales would be about £100 million at 1975 prices, which would fall in roughly equal proportion on the Inland Revenue and on the private sector. At present day prices this estimate would rise to about £175 million or more. There could be offsetting administrative savings from the abolition of domestic rating of some £100 million in local authorities and the valuation office of the Inland Revenue.