§ Mr. Macdonaldasked the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will publish an estimate of the numbers of staff that the community charge registration officer will be required to employ in order to complete registration on the community charge register of all adults in the Western Isles;
(2) if he will publish a table showing the predicted level of the personal community charge in the Western Isles in the financial year 1989–90, calculated on the basis of (a) 100 per cent. collection, (b) 95 per cent. collection, (c) 90 per cent. collection, (d) 85 per cent. collection, (e) 80 per cent. collection, (f) 75 per cent. collection and (g) 70 per cent. collection.
§ Mr. Doranasked the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will publish an estimate of the numbers of staff that the community charge registration officer will be required to employ in order to complete registration on the community charge register of all adults in the Aberdeen, South constituency;
(2) if he will publish a tale showing the predicted level of the personal community charge in the Aberdeen, South constituency in the financial year 1989, calculated (i) 100 per cent. collection, (ii) 95 per cent. collection, (iii) 90 per cent. collection, (iv) 85 per cent. collection, (v) 80 per cent. collection, (vi) 75 per cent. collection and (vii) 70 per cent. collection.
§ Mr. Wilsonasked the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will publish the predictions level of the personal 670W community charge in the constituency for 1989–90 calculating a basis of (i) 100 per cent. (ii) 80 per cent. collection;
(2) if he will estimate how many applicants will be required to enforce the poll tax in Cunninghame, North.
§ Mr. Tom Clarkeasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish a table showing the predicted level of the personal community charge in the Monklands, West constituency in the financial year 1989–90 calculated on the basis of (a) 100 per cent. collection, (b) 95 per cent. collection, (c) 90 per cent. collection, (d) 85 per cent. collection, (e) 80 per cent. collection, (f) 75 per cent. collection and (g) 70 per cent. collection.
§ Mr. Darlingasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he intends to make regulations to provide that where a sum is paid by a tenant being within a designated premises within the meaning of section 11 of the Abolition of Domestic Rates Etc. (Scotland) Act 1987, in respect of a community charge (a) that any payment made in excess of the number of days of his residence in that provision is returned to him without delay and (b) that any records made with section 11(14) of the Act is open to investigation by any tenant who has made a payment under section 11.
§ Mr. LangNo. Section 11(16) of the Abolition of Domestic Rates Etc. (Scotland) Act 1987 provides for the reimbursement of sums paid by way of collective community charge contributions where these sums are not due. Records kept under section 11(14) of the Act will be available to the community charges registration officer when he sets the multiplier determining the level of the collective community charge and multipliers will normally be available for public inspection under section 20(2)(a) of the Act.
§ Mr. Darlingasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he intends to make any regulations in order to define those persons who come within the scope of section 8(7) and section 8(8) of the Abolition of Domestic Rates Etc. (Scotland) Act 1987.
§ Mr. LangThe draft Abolition of Domestic Rates (Domestic and Part Residential Subjects) (Scotland) Regulations 1987, which were recently issued for consultation with interested bodies, define certain classes of premises—nursing homes, residential care homes and certain hostels providing an equivalent level of care—which will remain in rating after 1 April 1989. Persons soley or mainly resident in these premises (except resident staff) will be exempt from personal community charge liability under section 8(8)(d) of the 1987 Act. Draft regulations will shortly be brought forward dealing with the criteria to be taken into account by the community charges registration officer in designating premises as liable to the collective community charge: residents in these premises will be exempt from personal community charge liability under section 8(8)(c) of the Act, but will be required to pay to the landlord collective community charge contributions at the same daily level.
§ Mr. Darlingasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he intends to make regulations to require that where a 671W tenant pays rent that indicates an element in respect of domestic rates that any such rent payable after 1 April 1989 is reduced by such amount as was payable in respect of domestic rates.
§ Mr. LangNo. Domestic rates will be abolished on 1 April 1989 and rents which now include an element of rates will therefore no longer do so.