§ 18. Mr. McLeishasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what consideration he has given to the funding of the administration costs of the proposed community charge.
§ Mr. HowardThe Green Paper "Paying for Local Government" (para 3.43) made it clear that the Government would consult the local authority associations about the new costs arising from the community charge and would take account of them in setting the level of aggregate Exchequer grant.
§ 20. Mr. McNamaraasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he intends to issue a White Paper in respect of the proposed community charge.
§ Mr. RidleyThe Government's proposals for reforming the rating system were set out in a Green Paper published in January 1986. Consultation on the proposals ran until October of last year. On 15 December I published a further document "Paying for Local Government; the Community Charge", in which we confirmed our intention to proceed with the main elements of the Green Paper proposals and set out details of the operation of the community charge. The commitment was included in the manifesto on which the Government convincingly won the election.
§ 21. Mrs. Ann Taylorasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received on the likely level of community charge for English local authorities.
§ Mr. ChopeSince we first published illustrative community charge figures on 1 April last we have received 205 representations about the likely level of the community charge.
§ 28. Mr. Darlingasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what consideration he has given to ensuring that the register on which the proposed community charge in England and Wales is to be based is as accurate and up to date as possible.
§ Mr. HowardThe procedures for preparing and maintaining the register were described in some detail in the document on the operation of the community charge, which was placed in the Library on 15 December 1986. It will be the responsibility of each local authority to ensure that their register is accurate and up to date.
§ 29. Mr. Michael J. Martinasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what provisions he intends to 525W incorporate in the legislation to introduce a poll tax in England and Wales to take account of the preparations for implementing the tax in Scotland.
§ Mr. ChopeIt has always been the Government's intention that the Community charge systems in Scotland and in England and Wales should he broadly compatible.
§ 34. Mr. McFallasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what consideration he has given to the establishment of a rebate scheme in respect of the proposed community charge.
§ Mr. HowardAs the Government have repeatedly made plain, rebates of up to 80 per cent. of the community charge will be available for those on low incomes.
§ 42. Mr. Corbynasked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to implement plans for a poll tax.
§ Mr. HowardIt is intended that the community charge should be introduced in England and Wales on 1 April 1990.
§ 43. Mr. Rathboneasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received about the Government's plan for a community charge in England and Wales; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. HowardMy Department received 1,217 responses before 31 October 1986 when the consultation period on the Green Paper "Paying for Local Government" (Cmnd. 9714) ended. My right hon. Friend placed a summary of those responses in the Library on 15 December 1986. We continue to receive representations about our detailed proposals.
§ 49. Mr. Battleasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received on the estimated impact on the inhabitants of the Leeds, West constituency of the proposed community charge; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. HowardSince we first published illustrative community charge figures on 1 April 1987, we have received three representations about the community charge from individuals residing in Leeds.
§ 53. Mr. Beithasked the Secretary of State for the Environment w hat estimate he has made of the number of people who will he required to pay his proposed poll tax at the full rate.
§ Mr. HowardI refer the hon. Member to figure J9 of the Green Paper "Paying for Local Government" (Cmnd. 9714) for an estimate of housing benefit case load associated with the new local government finance system. There will, in addition, be a number of people who will benefit from the exemptions, for the severely mentally handicapped, the elderly in residential homes and the concession for students previously announced. There will be considerable overlap between the estimate of housing benefit cases and those who will benefit from these concessions.
§ 61. Ms. Walleyasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish a White Paper on the proposed community charge for England and Wales.
§ 67. Mr. Lofthouseasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish a White Paper on the proposed community charge for England and Wales.
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§ Mr. HowardI refer the hon. Member to the answer my right hon. Friend gave to the hon. Member for Kingston upon Hull, North (Mr. McNamara) earlier today.
§ 68. Mr. O'Brienasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has on the difference in the cost of collecting local revenues under (a) the existing rating system and (b) the proposed poll tax in west Yorkshire; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. HowardOur preliminary estimate is that the cost of collecting the community charge may be, broadly, up to twice the cost of collecting domestic rates. However, the cost to any individual local authority will depend on the extent to which they can reduce unit costs. We estimate that almost twice as many people will pay the community charge as pay domestic rates.
§ 74. Mr. Teddy Taylorasked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many letters he has received from the general public on the proposals by Her Majesty's Government to abolish domestic rates and to impose a uniform business rate; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Howard479 responses were received from the general public before 31 October 1986 when the consultation period on the Green Paper "Paying for Local Government" (Cmnd. 9714) ended. Since we first published illustrative community charge figures on 1 April we have received 181 representations from members of the general public.
§ 81. Mr. Livseyasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received from organisations representing local government about the proposed community charge.
§ Mr. HowardThe Department received 1,217 responses before 31 October last when the consultation period on the Green Paper "Paying for Local Government" (Cmnd. 9714) closed, of which 454 were from local authorities and organisations representing local government.
Ms. Quinnasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what estimate the Government have made of the likely effect on house prices in the different regions of the United Kingdom as a result of the introduction of the community charge.
§ Mr. HowardAnnex E of the Green Paper "Paying for Local Government" (Cmnd. 9714), published on 28 January 1986, contained an analysis of the likely impact of the abolition of domestic rates on the housing market.