Community Charge (Hansard, 8 July 1987)

§ Mr. Dewar
asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give the estimated level of the personal community charge in each regional and district council area in Scotland that would be required in the current financial year if the Abolition of Domestic Rates (Scotland) Act were in force.

§ Mr. Rifkind
I shall reply to the hon. Member as soon as possible.

§ Mrs. Margaret Ewing
asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many representations he has received from churches about the implications of the community charge for their finances; and whether he has any plans to exempt churches from the community charge.

§ Mr. Lang
My right hon. and learned Friend has received 32 representations from church organisations and individual churches about the implications of the community charge for churches and their finances.
As an essential element of the Government's proposals to replace domestic rates by a community charge system, ministers of religion and their adult families, like other adults aged 18 and over, will be required to pay the personal community charge. The present reliefs available to churches in respect of non-domestic rates will continue.

§ Mrs. Margaret Ewing
asked the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) how many individuals have written to him to express reservations about, or opposition to, the implementation of the community charge in Scotland in 1989;
(2) if he will list in the Official Report the names of all organisations which have written to him to advise him of reservations about, or opposition to, the implementation of the community charge in Scotland in 1989.

§ Mr. Lang
My right hon. and learned Friend has received 966 representations from individuals and 240 from organisations on rating reform since the publication of the Green Paper "Paying for Local Government" (Cmnd. 9714). Many representations include comments in favour of some of the proposals and against others. It is not therefore possible to provide the information in the form requested. The following organisations have commented on the proposals.
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Local Authorities

Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA)
Regional Councils

Borders

Dumfries and Galloway

Fife

Grampian

Highland

Lothian

Strathclyde

Tayside
District Councils

Angus

Argyll and Bute

Badenoch and Strathspey

Bearsden and Milngavie

Berwickshire

Caithness

Clydebank

Clydesdale

Cumnock and Doon Valley

Dumbarton

Dundee City

Edinburgh City

Ettrick and Lauderdale

Glasgow

Inverclyde

Kilmarnock and Loudoun

Kincardine and Deeside

Midlothian Moray

Motherwell

North East Fife

Renfrew

Roxburgh

Stewartry

Stirling

Strathkelvin

Sutherland

Wigtown
Island Councils

Orkney

Shetland

Western Isles
Community Councils

Aithsting and Sandsting, Shetland

Avich and Kilchrenan, Argyll

Bearsden North

Bridge of Allan

Burra and Tronda, Shetland
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Croy

Cumbernauld

Cumbrae

Delting, Shetland

Fetlar, Shetland

Girdle Toll and Bourtreehill (Irvine)

Govan

Gulberwick, Quarff and Cunningsburgh, Shetland

Helensburgh

Knightswood

Lenzie

Lerwick, Shetland

Loanhead

Northmavine, Shetland

Pittenweem and District

Sandness and Walls, Shetland

Sandwick, Shetland

Stepps Stoneyburn

Unst, Shetland

Uphall

West Ardnamurchan

Westfield (Cumbernauld)
Ratepayer Organisations and Tenants' Associations

Aberdeen City Centre Association

Association of Metropolitan Authorities

Ayr and District Ratepayers' Association

Castle Park Residents' Association

Clarkston and Busby Ratepayers' Association

Cross Stobs/Boylestone Ratepayers' Committee (Glasgow)

Esk Place Tenants' Association (Dalkeith)

Federated Associations of Owner-Occupiers of Glasgow

Federation of Scottish Ratepayers

Garscadden Tenants' Association (Glasgow)

Helensburgh and District Ratepayers' Association

Lower Woodburn Tenants' Association (Dalkeith)

Muirend and Netherlee Residents' Association (Glasgow)

Murrayburn Tenants' Association (Edinburgh)

National Union of Ratepayers

Ratepayers Action Group Executive—Lothian (RAGE)

Renfrew Owner-Occupiers' Association

Sandyhills Owner-Occupiers' Association (Glasgow)

Scottish Federation of Owner-Occupiers

Wakefield Ratepayers' Association

Wester Hailes Representative Council

Willowbank Action Group
Political Parties and Groups

Clydesdale Conservative Association

Dunfermline West Conservative Association

Edinburgh Central Liberal Association

Labour Party (Scottish Council)

North Cunninghame Conservative Association

Scottish Conservative and Unionist Association (Central and Southern Area Council)

Scottish Liberal Party

Scottish National Party

Scottish National Party (Rates Action Group)

Social Democratic Party

South Aberdeen Conservative Association

Stirling District Council Conservative Group
Professional Bodies

Association of Valuation Office Valuers

British Association of Social Workers (Scottish Committee)

Chartered Association of Certified Accountants (Scottish Committee)

Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA)

Institute of Cost and Management Accountants

Law Society of Scotland

Rating Officers' Guild

Rating Surveyors' Association

Rating and Valuation Association

Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (Scottish 188 Branch)

Scottish Assessors' Association

Scottish Universities Joint Committee on Valuation and Rating

Society of Local Authority Chief Executives (Scottish Branch) (SOLACE)
Trade Unions and Trades Councils etc.

Association of University Teachers (Scotland)

Co-operative Union Ltd (Parliamentary Committee)

Edinburgh and District Trades Council

Inland Revenue Staff Federation

Moray Trades Council

NALGO—Midlothian

NALGO—Scottish District Local Government Committee

National Farmers Union (Scotland)

National Union of Seamen

NUS (Scotland)

National Union of Tailors and Garment Workers

NUPE (Scottish Office)

STUC

Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers

University of Aberdeen Students' Association

University of Edinburgh Students' Association

University of St. Andrews Students' Association
Social Welfare and other Organisations
Aberdeen Voluntary Service

Albyn House Association

Ark Housing Association

Baptist Union of Scotland

Central Council of Physical Recreation

Child Poverty Action Group Church of the Nazerene

Church of Scotland (Board of Social Responsibility)

Church of Scotland (Committee on Church and Nation)

Church of Scotland (Law Department)

Church of Scotland (Ministry and Mission)

Churches Main Committee

Congregational Union of Scotland

Council of Social Service (Stirling)

Dr. Barnardo's (Scotland)

Edinburgh Council of Social Service

Erskine Hospital

Grampian Welfare Rights Project

Harris Council of Social Service

Jobs Action Group, Irvine

Methodist Church (Scotland)

National Council of Women

National League of the Blind and Disabled

National Trust for Scotland

North Edinburgh Action Group

Pensioners Action Group

Queensberry House Hosptial, Edinburgh

Scottish Action on Dementia

Scottish Age Concern

Scottish Arts Council

Scottish Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux

Scottish Consumer Council

Scottish Convention of Women

Scottish Council for Community and Voluntary Organisations

Scottish Council for Single Homeless

Scottish Council of Women's Citizens' Associations

Scottish Episcopal Church

Scottish Library Association

Scottish Society for the Mentally Handicapped

Scottish Society of MENCAP (Sutherland Branch)

Scottish Sports Association

Scottish Sports Council

Scottish Women's Aid

Strathclyde Elderly Forum

United Free Church of Scotland
Trade Associations and other Economic Organisation

Association of British Riding Schools

Association of Scottish Chambers of Commerce

Association of Scottish Self-Caterers
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Ayrshire Chamber of Industry

British Aggregate and Construction Materials Industries Association

British Horse Society

British Hotels, Restaurants and Caterers' Association

British Paper and Board Industry Federation

British Retailers' Association

CBI (Scottish Office)

Campaign against the Unfair Rating Burden (CURB)

Chemical Industries Association Ltd.

Dundee and Tayside Chamber of Commerce

East Lothian Tourist Board

Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce

Forum of Private Business

Gatehouse of Fleet Chamber of Trade

Highlands & Islands Development Board

Kirkwall Chamber of Commerce

Lerwick Harbour Trust

National Association of Steel Stockholders

National Association of Warehouse Keepers

National Caravan Council

National Chamber of Trade

National Federation of Retail Newsagents

National Federation of Self-Employed and Small Businesses

National Federation of Self-Employed and Small Businesses (Borders Branch)

National Federation of Site Owners

Perthshire Chamber of Commerce

Property Owners and Factors Association (Scotland)

Scotch Whisky Association

Scottish Caravan Industry

Scottish Council Development and Industry

Scottish Landowners' Federation

Scottish Licensed Trade Association

Scottish Recreational Land Association

Scottish Tourism Action for Business

Shetland Chamber of Commerce

Shetland Retailers' Association

The British Council

UK Agricultural Supply Trade Association
Individual Businesses and Public Bodies

Bowfield Country Club (Renfrewshire)

British Airports Authority

BP

Esso Chemicals (Mossmorran)

Fuller Peiser (Chartered Surveyors)

Highland Distilleries

House of Fraser

ICI

Livingston Development Corporation

Royal Highland and Agricultural Society

Shell UK Ltd.

Sullom Voe Terminal Association
Educational Bodies

Association of Camphill Communities

Edinburgh School of Art

Gordonstoun School

Heriot-Watt University

University of Aberdeen

University of Edinburgh

University of Glasgow

University of Lancaster

University of St. Andrews

University of Strathclyde