§ 23. Mr. Brandon-Bravoasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what recent representations he has had about the burden of rates on commerce and industry.
§ Mr. Patrick JenkinI have received a large number of such representations. It is clear that the business community is very concerned about the effects of high rates on investment and employment.
§ 33. Mr. Bidwellasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will ensure that rates in outer London boroughs do not rise as a consequences of the proposed abolition of the Greater London council.
§ Mr. WaldegraveThe Government's aim is to ensure that the abolition of the GLC and the metropolitan county councils does not result in any inequitable shift in the burden of rates within London, or between London and the rest of the country. This will involve, as the abolition White Paper makes clear, extending the London rate equalisation scheme to ensure that some redistribution of the very high rateable resources in central London continues when the GLC is abolished.
§ Mr. Dobsonasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish in the Official Report an estimate of the proportion of household income taken by domestic rates, excluding water rates, in (a) England and (b) Greater London in 1974–75, 197879, 1979–80, 1980–81, 1981–82, 1982–83 and 1983–84.
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§ Mr. WaldegraveFollowing is the available information:
Domestic rate payments* as a percentage of personal disposable income Percentages England Greater London 1974–75 2.3 2.5 1978–79 2.1 2.4 1979–80 2.1 2.4 1980–81 2.3 2.7 1981–82 2.7 3.3 * Net of domestic rate relief and rate rebates; excluding water charges. Estimates for 1982–83 and 1983–84 are not yet available.