§ Mrs. Kellett-Bowmanasked the Secretary of State for the Environment, if the community charge per adult in Lancaster were to be £190 per annum, what estimates he has to indicate what would be the rate of local income tax that would be required to raise an equivalent overall sum assuming that taxpayers in Lancaster are on a similar tax base to taxpayers in Lancashire as a whole for (1) persons earning £100 per week and (2) persons on the average national wage.
§ Mr. HowardI estimate that a community charge of £190 in Lancaster would be equivalent to a rate of local income tax of 4.9p. The impact on particular households would depend on their circumstances, but a single person earning £100 per week would pay up to £140 a year of LIT on this basis; a single person earning the average national wage would pay up to £400.
§ Mr. Pikeasked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many copies of "Paying For Local Government—The Need For Change" his Department has had published; what was the cost involved; and what other expenditure has been incurred in publicising his proposals for the introduction of the community charge.
§ Mr. HowardI refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Sheffield, Brightside (Mr. Blunkett) on 29 October, at column438–39.
§ Mr. Hoodasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give details of the organisations in Scotland which have notified him of their support of the poll tax legislation.
§ Mr. HowardThe Green Paper "Paying for Local Government" (Cmnd. 9714) asked for comments on the Government's proposals from individuals and organisations in Scotland to be sent to the Scottish Office.
§ Mr. Rookerasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he proposes a system of rebates for small business under the unified business rate.
§ Mr. HowardNo. Small businesses will benefit from our guarantee that the rate poundage will increase by no more than the retail prices index. There will be generous phasing arrangements for those businesses facing increases on the move to the uniform poundage.
§ Mr. Rookerasked the Secretary of State for the Environment how he intends to make arrangements for contributions to local authority services from foreign diplomats following introduction of the poll tax.
§ Mr. HowardWe will announce details of the proposed arrangements in due course.
846W
§ Mr. Rookerasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what he considers will be the appropriate time to make an estimate of the number of staff required to administer the poll tax.
§ Mr. HowardIn accordance with convention, an estimate of the staffing implications of the rates reform proposals will be included in the explanatory and financial memorandum to the Bill.
§ Mr. Rookerasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what information will be available to electoral registration officers as to the reasons names appear on the poll tax register, but not on the electoral register.
§ Mr. HowardElectoral registration officers will know that the community charges register and the electoral register serve different purposes; the former is a list of those liable to pay the community charge in an area; the latter a list of those entitled to vote.
§ Mr. Rookerasked the Secretary of State for the Environment for what purposes it is proposed that electoral registration officers will have access to the poll tax register.
§ Mr. HowardElectoral registration officers will have access to community charges registers to assist them in checking the completeness of electoral register.
§ Mr. Rookerasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will seek the permission of those organisations which have submitted comments following publication of Cmnd. 9714 "Paying For Local Government" to publish their views.
§ Mr. HowardNo. A list of those organisations which responded is available in the Library should the hon. Member wish to approach respondents directly.
§ Mr. Rookerasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what pay scale is proposed for community charge officers.
§ Mr. HowardThe community charge registration officer in each area will be the officer administering the local authority's financial affairs under section 151 of the Local Government Act 1972. They will continue to be paid on the appropriate scale.
§ Mr. Rookerasked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many copies of "Paying For Local Government—The Need For Change" have been printed; to whom they have been distributed; and what was the cost of publication.
§ Mr. Howard100,000 copies of the booklet "Paying for Local Government—The Need for Change" have been printed at a cost of £16,200. They are being distributed in response to requests from individuals or organisations for their members use. Copies are also enclosed, where relevant, with replies to ministerial and official correspondence on the rates reform proposals.
§ Mr. Rookerasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will place in the Library copies of work undertaken in respect of the paragraphs on local income tax on page 7 of his Department's leaflet "Paying For Local Government—The Need For Change."
847W
§ Mr. HowardThese paragraphs were based on the consideration of local income tax in paragraphs 3.24 to 3.32 of the Green Paper "Paying for Local Government" (Cmnd. 9714), which was published in January 1986.
§ Mr. Rookerasked the Secretary of State for the Environment when pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Brighton, Kemptown (Mr. Bowden) on 21 October, column 817, he estimates the information on the poll tax model for 1986–87 will be available.
§ Mr. HowardShortly.
§ Mr. Hoodasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give details of the organisations which have notified him of their opposition to the poll tax legislation.
§ Mr. HowardI refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave yesterday to my hon. Friend the Member for Southend, East (Mr. Taylor).